History Durian

michał boym, jesuit missionary china, provided 1 of (1655) reports on durian (upper right) european scholars.

the durian has been known , consumed in southeast asia since prehistoric times, has been known western world 600 years. earliest native reference durian several bas relief panels of 9th-century borobudur depicting durian 1 of fruit offering javanese king, , 1 of fruits sold in marketplace.

the earliest known european reference durian record of niccolò da conti, travelled southeastern asia in 15th century. translated latin in poggio bracciolini recorded da conti s travels: [people of sumatra] have green fruit call durian, big watermelon. inside there 5 things elongated oranges, , resembling thick butter, combination of flavours. portuguese physician garcia de orta described durians in colóquios dos simples e drogas da india published in 1563. in 1741, herbarium amboinense german botanist georg eberhard rumphius published, providing detailed , accurate account of durians on century. genus durio has complex taxonomy has seen subtraction , addition of many species since created rumphius. during stages of taxonomical study, there confusion between durian , soursop (annona muricata), both of these species had thorny green fruit. interesting note malay name soursop durian belanda, meaning dutch durian. in 18th century, johann anton weinmann considered durian belong castaneae fruit similar horse chestnut.

durio zibethinus. chromolithograph hoola van nooten, circa 1863

d. zibethinus introduced ceylon portuguese in 16th century , reintroduced many times later. has been planted in americas confined botanical gardens. first seedlings sent royal botanic gardens, kew, auguste saint-arroman of dominica in 1884.

in southeastern asia, durian has been cultivated centuries @ village level, since late 18th century, , commercially since mid-20th century. in tropic isle, australian author , naturalist edmund james banfield tells how, in 20th century, friend in singapore sent him durian seed, planted , cared on tropical island off north coast of queensland.

in 1949, british botanist e. j. h. corner published durian theory, or origin of modern tree. theory endozoochory (the enticement of animals transport seeds in stomach) arose before other method of seed dispersal, , primitive ancestors of durio species earliest practitioners of dispersal method, in particular red durian (d. dulcis) exemplifying primitive fruit of flowering plants. however, in more recent circumscriptions of durioneae, tribe durio , sister taxa fall, fleshy arils , spiny fruits derived within clade. genera possess these characters, others don t. recent molecular evidence (on recent, well-supported circumscription of durioneae based) therefore refutes corner s durian theory.

since 1990s, domestic , international demand durian in association of southeast asian nations (asean) region has increased significantly, partly due increasing affluence of asia.