Decaspermum fruticosum

Forst.

Shrubby decaspermum, Tailor tree, Polynesian myrtle

MyrtaceaeFruitLeavesShootsPotential hazards — see below

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(c) js671, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Shoots, Fruit

Young shoots are eaten as a seasoning. Black berries are eaten.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It mostly grows on the edges of forest. In Samoa it occurs between 100-650 m altitude. In Indonesia it grows up to 1,300 m above sea level.

American Samoa, Asia, Australia, China, Fiji, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Micronesia, Myanmar, Pacific, Palau, Philippines, Samoa, SE Asia, Thailand, Tonga, Wallis & Futuna,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, American Samoa, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Fiji, Micronesia, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen

How to Identify

A shrub or slender tree. It can grow 14 m high but is often 2.5 m high. The stems are flattened and hairy. The leaves are simple and opposite. The leaf blade is narrowly oval and 1-4 cm long. They are rounded at the base and have dots over the surface. The leaf stalk is 1-3 mm long. The flowers can be at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. Mostly they occur singly but can be in groups of 3. The flowers are pink. The fruit is small and flattened. It is 4-6 mm across and has several seeds. The fruit are black.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown by seeds.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Decaspermum fruticosum is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is a tree or shrub native to the Samoan Islands, Society Islands, Tonga, and Wallis and Futuna.

Notes

There are about 30 Decaspermum species.

Names & Synonyms

Copper wood tree, Dieng-la-phynia, Diengauro-la-pyrno, Ipis kulit, Jerak, Kayu demang, Kelentit kering, Kelentit nyamok, Kelentit padang, Ki tai, Lemuning batu, Mempoyan padang, Nu'anu'a, Padi-padi, Patalsik, Plawng ki kwai, Pohon kayu tembaga, Pokok salah nama, Tembagan, Tipit kulit

Decaspermum paniculatum Kurz.Nelitris paniculata Lindl.Nelitris fruticosa (Forst.) A. GrayNelitris vitiensis A. GrayPsidium decaspermum L.f. [Illegitimate]

References (11)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 164
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 785
Franklin, J., Keppel, G., & Whistler, W., 2008, The vegetation and flora of Lakeba, Nayau and Aiwa Islands, Central Lau Group, Fiji. Micronesica 40(1/2): 169–225, 2008
Milow, P., et al, 2013, Malaysian species of plants with edible fruits or seeds and their evaluation. International Journal of Fruit Science. 14:1, 1-27
Monsalud, M.R., Tongacan, A.L., Lopez, F.R., & Lagrimas, M.Q., 1966, Edible Wild Plants in Philippine Forests. Philippine Journal of Science. p 509
Ochse, J. J. et al, 1931, Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Asher reprint. p 530
Parham, B. E. V., 1972, Plants of Samoa. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Information Series. No. 85 p 92
Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 134
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 224
Whistler, W.A., 2004, Rainforest Trees of Samoa. Isle Botanica Honolulu, Hawaii. p 116
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew