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The durian ()〔Pronunciation common to and (【引用サイトリンク】 publisher = dictionary.com )〕 is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. The name 'durian' is derived from the Malay-Indonesian languages word for duri or "spike", a reference to the numerous spike protuberances of the fruit, together with the noun-building suffix -an. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'' is the only species available in the international market: other species are sold only in their local regions. Regarded by many people in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits",〔 the durian is distinctive for its large size, strong odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as long and in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh 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. Some people regard the durian as having a pleasantly sweet fragrance; others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage. The persistence of its odour, which may linger for several days, has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia. The durian, native to Southeast Asia, has been known to the Western world for about 600 years. The nineteenth-century British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace described its flesh as "a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds". The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked. There are hundreds of durian cultivars; many consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market. ==Taxonomy== The genus ''Durio'' is placed by some taxonomists in the family Bombacaceae, or by others in a broadly defined Malvaceae that includes Bombacaceae, and by others in a smaller family of just seven genera Durionaceae.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=USDA GRIN Taxonomy, Durionaceae )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】 Angiosperm Phylogeny Website – Malvales )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「durian」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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