Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets

Licania tomentosa

Edible : Fruit

A tree. It grows 20 m tall. The young branches can have a grey covering. The crown is low and spreads wide. The leaves are narrowly oval and papery. They are 5-12 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They taper to the tip and are wedge shaped at the base. The flowers occur singly and are 3 mm long. They are densely crowded along a stalk. The fruit is oblong and smooth.

A tropical plant. It grows in coastal regions.

Other names : Braganca, Goiti, Guaili, Oiti da praia, Oiticica, Oity, Oiti, Goiti'iba,

Synonyms :

Moquilea tomentosa Benth.;
Pleragina odorata Arruda da Camara ex Koster;

Lycium carolinianum

Edible : Fruit

A shrub. The fruit are oval red berries.

It is a temperate plant.

Other Names : Pua nako nako, Saladilla, Christmas berry, Carolina wolfberry, Boxthorn,

Lycium chinense

Edible : Leaves as condiment, Spice, Tea, Fruit, Seeds - coffee, Vegetable, Seeds-oil

A spiny deciduous shrub. It grows 4.5 m high. The branches are stiff, straight and unbranched. The branches have long thorns. These are where the leaves sprout from the stem. There are only a few leaves. The leaves are oval and vary between 2-6 cm long. They are dark green. The flowers are purplish. They are tube shaped and held in clusters of 1 to 4. The fruit are reddish-orange berries. They hang down. The fruit are 25 mm long.
 

A Mediterranean climate plant. It will grow in the highlands in warm tropical countries. In Indonesia it grows at about 2,000 m above sea level. Photo from Singapore. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. In Yunnan. In Sichuan.

Other names : Chinese boxthorn, Chinese matrimony-vine, Cauqui, Chinese teaplant, Chinese wolfberry, Chu chi, Daun koki, Gau gei choi, Gouqi, Gou qi cai, Gugijanamu, Holly Willow, Kaokichai, Kaukichai, Kaukichoy, Kei-chi, Kitajska kustovnica, Kou-chi, Kou-kay-choi, Kuko, Matrimony vine,

Synonyms :

Lycium barbarum var. chinense (Mill.) Aiton;
Lycium ovatum Poir.;
Lycium rhombifolium (Moench) Dippel;
Lycium sinense Gren.;
Lycium trewianum Roem. & Schult.;

Mangifera casturi

Edible : Fruit

An evergreen tree. It grows 10-30 m tall. The leaves are narrowly oval to sword shaped. The fruit are fleshy. They are oval and slightly flattened. They are 6 cm long and dark purple to black. The flesh is orange and sweet.

A tropical plant. They grow in the humid tropics.

Common Names : Kalimantan mango, Kasturi, Kastooree, Pelipisan, Pohon mangga kasturi,

Synonyms :

Markhamia lutea

Medicinal

A shrub or small tree. It grows about 5-10 m tall. The trunk is 50 cm across. The young branches are finely scaly. The leaves are 20-30 cm long. The flowers are yellow with purple marks. They are 5 cm long. They are in clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit are long and narrow. They are 0.5-1 m long. The seeds are 3 cm long and have wings at both ends.

It is a tropical plant.

Common Names : Nile tulip, Nile trumpet, 

Synonyms :

Dolichandrone hildebrandtii Baker;
Markhamia platycalyx (Baker) Seem.;
Spathodea lutea Benth.;
and others

Licania platypus

Edible : Fruit, Bark

A large tree. It grows 30-50 m tall. It has a rounded crown. The bark is brown with white dots. It can have buttresses. It loses it leaves during the year. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped. They are 10-30 cm long and 3-9 cm wide. Young leaves are red. The flowers are in large branched groups at the ends of branches. These are 10-35 cm long. They have a strong scent. The fruit is large, oval and brown. They are 15 cm long. It has orange sweet flesh. It has one large seed. The seed can be 6-10 cm long.

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowland tropics. It is best with a seasonally dry period.

Common names : Sun sapote, Acchisht-jaca, Cabeza de mico, Caca de nino, Caimopiedra, Chanu, Chupa, Gue-lau, Hoja tostada, Huicume, Itzampi, Mesonzapote, Sabo, Sansapote, Sangre, Sonzapote, Sungano, Sunza, Tzonzapotl, Zapote borracho, Zapote de mico,Zapote mechudo, Zunza,

Synonyms :

Moquilea platypus Hemsl.;

Morinda citrifolia

Edible : Fruit, Leaves, Vegetable

A small evergreen tree. It grows 4-10 m tall and spreads 2-6 m wide. The branches are thick and somewhat 4 angled. It has large oval leaves which grow opposite each other along a four sided shiny branch. The leaves have a small leaf like appendage at the base of the leaf stem which is fused into a type of sheath. The leaves are 12.5-31 cm long by 6.2-15 cm wide. The stalks are 0.6-2.5 cm long. The flowers are numerous. They are 1.5 cm across. They grow in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are rounded and small each with two 1-seeded nutlet. The fruit are yellowish white when mature, with warty looking lumps. They are about 6 cm across. The fruit is a little like soursop and has an unpleasant smell when ripe.

A tropical plant. They are common along the seashores throughout the Philippines. The trees grow wild in coastal areas and are also planted. They suit dry areas because of high drought tolerance. It is part of the coastal vegetation behind the beach. They can grow on sand and have salt tolerance. Seeds can float easily in salt water. Trees can grow up to about 1500 m altitude in the tropics. They are usually in areas with temperatures between 20-35°C and rainfall of 250-4000 mm per year. Trees cannot stand frost. They can grow in a very wide range of soils. It grows 19° N and S of the equator. At MARDI.

Common names : Indian mulberry, Noni, Abau, Ach, Achi, Achu, Ageru, Ahi, Ahu, Ai-nenuk, Ainshi, Al, Alaymaykbya, Anngukmanj, Arin, Ashyuka, Awl Tree, Bamkoro, Bangkoro, Bangkudu, Bartundi, Bengkudu, Bingkuduk, Bongimit, Bouka, Bula, Burukpili, Canary Wood, Changkudu, Cheesefruit, Cherumanjanathi, Dilo, Ehi, Ghuraci, Gnovsti, Gogu, Great Morinda, Guninyi, Gura, Gures, Gutes, Gutsi, Hai be ji, Hardi-kath, Huldi-kung, Huressi, Kattapitalavam, Kemudu, Kesengel, Kikiri, Koonjerung, Kudu, Kukure, Kura, Lada, Leen, Lele, Lol, Luo ling, Maddi chettu, Maddi, Magarwek, Mangal'wag, Manngukmanj, Mannanatti, Mekudu, Mengkudu jantan, Mengkudu, Molagha, Mora de la India, Munja pavattay, Naniphal, Nen, Nenuka, Ngel, Nguna, Ngurata, Nhau, Nho srok, Nibase, Nin, No-no, Non, Noni, Nono, Nonu, Nopwur, Nuna, Nute, Nyagyi, Pache, Pangi, Pindra, Pohon mengkudu sitri, Pohon pace sitri, Rotten cheesewood, Sumbia, Surangi, Tagase, Te non, Togaru, Tokoonja, Uhpwul, 'ura, Wehmpul, Weipwul, Wuliwulama, Wu ning, Yaw, Yema de huero, Yo baan, Yorban,

Synonyms :

Morinda tinctoria Ridley;

Morus macroura

Edible : Fruit

A tree. It grows to 15 m tall. The trunk can be 10-20 cm across near the base. The young branches are hairy. The leaves have stalks. The stalks are 2-4 cm long. The leaf blades are 8-29 cm long by 6-15 cm wide. They usually do not have lobes. They have fine teeth. They are softly hairy. They are pale green underneath. The female flowering stalk can be 6-12 cm long. The flower is greenish. The male catkins are in the axils of leaves in pairs. They are 4-8 cm long. The fruit is white or purple. They are sweet when ripe. They are 20 cm long.

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical and subtropical places. In Nepal it grows between 1000-2000 m altitude. It grows on open hillsides. In south China it grows in mountain forests between 1000-1300 m altitude but can be at lower and higher altitudes. Arboretum Tasmania.

Common names : Himalayan mulberry, Ayumasing, Bola, Dieng-bylliet, Himalayan tut, Hmubelbing, Kaimu, Kimbu, Kimu, King white, Kok mon, Momontsungthi, Mon laung, Nai sang, Pohon andalas, Pohon murbei kuning, Rokseng, Shahthooth, Shah-tut, Shahtoot, Siyah-tut, Tut,

Synonyms :

Morus laevigata Wall. ex Brandis;
Morus alba var. laevigata (Wall. ex Brand.) Bureau;

Myrciaria glazioviana

Edible : Fruit

A large shrub. It grows 2-4 m tall. The crown is dense. The branches almost touch the ground. The leaves are papery. They have a white covering underneath. Leaves are 6-11 cm long and the edges curl under. The flowers are in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are yellow when ripe and 2-3 cm across. They are sweet and have a juicy pulp.

It is a tropical plant.

Common names : Cabeludinha, Cabeluda, Peludinha, 

Synonyms :

Eugenia cabelludo var. glazioviana Kiaersk.;
Paramyrciaria glazioviana (Kiaersk.) Sobral;

Parkia biglobosa

Edible : Seeds, Roots, Fruit, Pods, Bark - flavouring, Vegetable,

A large tree. It grows to 20 m tall. The trunk is 1 m across. The crown is spreading. The bark is scaly. The leaves are dark green and twice divided. There are 50-70 pairs of leaflets along 14-30 pairs of leaflet stalks. The flower clusters are pink or red. These are in round balls on stalks 30 cm long. The fruit are pods 50 cm long. A cluster of pods occur together. The ripe seeds develop a yellowish tinge when ripe. There is pink, dry, powdery flesh around them. The fruit are edible.

It is a tropical plant. It often grows near water. It grows in the Sahel. It grows in savannah. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 500-700 mm per year. It is best on deep loamy sands. It can grow in arid places. In Rockhampton Botanical Gardens.

Common names : African locust bean, Twoball Nitta-Tree, African locust, Ahouatin, Ahwatin, Anjambane, Ayidan, Biaie, Billire, Buiai, Bu nalay, Bu niok, Canhando, Caroubier-africain, Daddawa, Daudawa, Dawadawa, Dodoli, Dondo, Donm, Dooso, 'Dorawa, Dorowa, Dours, Dowa, Dso, Duaga, Em-bando, Faroba, Farroba, Farrobe, Fernleaf Nitta-tree, Gante, Igba, Iru, Irugba, Iyere, Kalwa, Kariah, Kolgo, Mehante, Mimosa-poupre, Munuan, Muwassademu, N'andu, Nando, Narehi, Nere, Neri, Netch, Nete, Netetu, Netto, Niere, Nitta tree, Nitta-Nut, Nune, Nutta-Nut, Olele, Ogiri, Oule, Poroba, Roanga, Runo, Sikomu, Ulele, Unhando,

Synonyms : 

Inga biglobosa (Jacq.) Willd.;
Inga senegalensis DC.;
Mimosa biglobosa Jacq.;
Mimosa taxifolia Pers.,
Parkia africana R. Br.;
Parkia clappertoniana Keay;
Parkia filicoides Welw.;
Parkia intermedia Oliver;
Parkia oliveri J. F. Macbr.;