Durio is a genus of plants in the family Malvaceae. Several species produce an edible fruit known as durian, the most common species being Durio zibethinus, with eight others producing edible fruit.

Taxonomy

Early works describe Durio sensu lato, which had 30 recognised species, with Durio sensu stricto comprising 24 of them. The 6 additional species included in Durio s.l. are now considered by some to comprise their own genus, Boschia. Durio s.s. and Boschia have indistinguishable vegetative characteristics and many shared floral characteristics. The crucial difference between the two is that anther locules open by apical pores in Boschia and by longitudinal slits in Durio s.s. These two genera form a clade that is sister to another genus, Cullenia. These three genera together form a clade that is characterised by highly modified (mono- and polythecate, as opposed to bithecate) anthers. The genus Durio had been placed in the family Bombacaceae, and by other authorities in a smaller family of just seven genera, Durionaceae; this is now recognised as the tribe Durioneae.

Durio was included in Bombacaceae because of the presence of monothecate anthers, as opposed to the bithecate anthers common to the rest of the mallows (and angiosperms, in general). However, the first studies to examine mallow phylogeny using molecular data found that the tribe Durioneae should be placed in the subfamily Helicteroideae of an expanded Malvaceae. The authors of these studies hypothesise that monothecate anthers have most likely evolved convergently in Durioneae and in the Malvatheca clade (comprising Malvaceae s.l. subfamilies Malvoideae and Bombacoideae).

Description

There are 29 recognised species in the genus Durio, but only eleven produce edible fruit. D. zibethinus is the only species available on the international market: the other species are sold only in their local regions. The name "durian" is derived from the Indo-Malay word "duri" which refers to the fruit's many protuberances.

Often considered the king of fruits, durian is distinguished by its large size, arresting odor, and fearsome thorny husk. The fruit can grow up to 30 centimeters long and 15 centimeters in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms. Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk from green to brown, and its flesh from pale yellow to red, depending on the species.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour that is strong and penetrating, even when the husk is intact. The smell, depending on the person, evokes rotting onions, turpentine, or even sewage, yet to others it is welcoming and appetizing. The persistence of the smell has led to its ban in some hotels and public transport in Southeast Asia.

Species

Plants of the World Online currently (2025) accepts 29 species.

1. Durio affinis

2. Durio beccarianus

3. Durio bruneiensis

4. Durio bukitrayaensis

5. Durio burmanicus

6. Durio carinatus

7. Durio connatus

8. Durio crassipes

9. Durio dulcis

10. Durio gerikensis

11. Durio graveolens

12. Durio kinabaluensis

13. Durio kutejensis

14. Durio lanceolatus

15. Durio lissocarpus

16. Durio lowianus

17. Durio macrantha

18. Durio macrolepis

19. Durio macrophyllus

20. Durio malaccensis

21. Durio oblongus

22. Durio oxleyanus

23. Durio perakensis

24. Durio pinangianus

25. Durio purpureus

26. Durio singaporensis

27. Durio testudinarius

28. Durio wyatt-smithii

29. Durio zibethinus

Formerly placed here

1. Boschia griffithii (as D. acutifolius and D. griffithii )

References

External links