Nephelium spp. are abundant in Brunei Darussalam. Their trees bear fruits of various sizes and colors and are highly ornate, but only a few are known and cultivated for their edible fruit. The best known is the rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum Linn) which is extensively cultivated in parts of SE Asia & N. Australia. The commercial rambutan cultivars evolved from years of natural & artificial selection, resulting in wide variations of fruit sizes, colors & tastes. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Brunei each have their own favorite cultivars & clones. One of the most formidable research challenges of rambutan is to extend the shelf life of the fruit. The soft spinterns and fragile skin deteriorates rapidly, becoming dull brownish & dry within four days of harvest. The white translucent flesh also rapidly becomes soft and watery. A potential research direction is to breed for `spintern-less' rambutan. This strategy may be feasible within the genetic resources of Nephelium in Brunei Darussalam where there are spintern-less types. The diversity of Nephelium species found in Brunei Darussalam will be elaborated on.
DIVERSITY OF NEPHELIUM SPECIES IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM