Wameron36 Posted March 28, 2011 Hey all, I have posted this on the bushfoods forum but thought some people here may also be able to help Walking through the uni today I noticed these fruits growing on a number of small trees. The fruit seemed familiar, as if I'd seen them in books, so when I got home had a flick through some bushfood books and the internet to see what they were. The fruit resemble some sort of aspen but when I checked out the different Acronichia species from around my area (Now Townsville) but the leaves didn't seem to match any. Or at least from what I could tell. Anyway, It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could help me out as to what sort of plant it is and any info about edibility or use. The fruit are about 15mm diameter, in a pale yellow colour with a white seed in the middle about 5mm diameter. The clusters of fruit appeared to come from along the branches of the tree. I haven't eaten any, but tasted a piece which had quite a nice, sour taste to it. Here are some pretty crappy pictures of the fruit and leaves that I took home. I'll try and get some photos of the tree, or better photos if needed. Thanks! Cameron. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rafa Posted March 28, 2011 Here you ar a descriptcion of your plant. Good afternoon from Spain Rafa Phyllanthus acidus, known as the Otaheite gooseberry, Malay gooseberry, Tahitian gooseberry, country gooseberry, star gooseberry, West India gooseberry, simply gooseberry tree, is one of the trees with edible small yellow berries fruit in the Phyllanthaceae family. Despite its name, the plant does not resemble the gooseberry, except for the acidity of its fruits. It is mostly cultivated for ornamentation. Description SaplingThe plant is a curious intermediary between shrubs and tree, reaching 2 to 9 m (6½ to 30 ft) high. The tree's dense and bushy crown is composed of thickish, tough main branches, at the end of which are clusters of deciduous, greenish, 15-to-30-cm long branchlets. The branchlets bear alternate leaves that are ovate or lanceolate in form, with short petioles and pointed ends. The leaves are 2-7.5 cm long and thin, they are green and smooth on the upperside and blue-green on the underside. In general, the Otaheite gooseberry very much looks like the bilimbi tree. LeavesThe flowers can be male, female or hermaphrodite. They are small and pinkish and appear in clusters in 5-to-12.5-cm long panicles. Flowers are formed at leafless parts of the main branches, at the upper part of the tree. The fruits are numerous, oblate, with 6 to 8 ribs, develop so densely that they actually form spectacular masses. They are pale yellow or white, waxy, crisp and juicy, and very sour. It has only one seed in each fruit. Tree in greenhouse[edit] Origin and distributionThis tropical or subtropical species is thought to originate in Madagascar, then carried to the East Indies. Now it is generally found in South India, and Southeast Asian countries, such as Southern Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Northern Malaya. It also occurs in the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues and also in Guam, Hawaii and several other Pacific islands. In 1793, the plant was introduced to Jamaica (where it is commonly referred to as "Jumbilin" or "Jimbilin") from Timor. From there, it progressively spread to the whole Caribbean region, as far as the Bahamas or Bermuda and Nevis. It is now naturalized in Central and South America. In the United States, the tree is occasionally found as a curiosity in Florida. For instance, it is resistant enough to fruit in Tampa. [edit] Cultivation and culinary interest FruitsThe Otaheite gooseberry prefers moist soil. Although it usually grows from seeds, the tree can also be multiplied from budding, greenwood cuttings or air-layers. It bears two crops per year in South India: one in April-May and the other in August-September. Elsewhere, it is mainly harvested in January. The juice can be used in beverage, or the fruit pickled in sugar. When cooked with plenty of sugar, the fruit turns ruby red and produces a kind of jelly, which is called mứt chùm ruột in Vietnamese. It can also be salted. The fruit is called "Grosella" in Puerto Rico and Colombia. Since the fruit is tart, it is often eaten in "Dulce de Grosellas". The preparation of this dessert consist in simmering the berries with sugar until they are soft and turn red in color. The liquid from the cooking is also used as a beverage. In Colombia it is also most commonly eaten raw with salt. [edit] NutritionThe nutritive values of Mayom (per 100 g edible portion) are 28 kcal of energy, 91.7 g moisture, 0.7 g protein, 6.4 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g crude fibre, 5 mg calcium, 23 mg phosphorus, 0.4 mg iron, 0.01 mg thiamin, 0.05 mg riboflavin and 8 mg vitamin C (Anon, 1992). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wameron36 Posted March 28, 2011 Ahhh thank you! It's much appreciated. Will give the fruit a proper try today Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zaka Posted April 4, 2011 Irie, Good call Rafa.. Good as juice, very tart! Also nice as jam. Respect, Z Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
