Cansjera leptostachya

Benth.

Akusepin

OpiliaceaeFruit

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(c) Russell Cumming, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit are eaten.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It is in vine thickets. It is often climbing on the edge of forests. It grows from sea level up to 700 m altitude. It can grow on limestone rocks or sandy soil. It can grow in arid places.

Asia, Australia*, East Timor, Indonesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, SE Asia, Timor-Leste,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, 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 climbing tropical forest plant. It can be 6 m long. It can also be as an erect shrub. The branches hang downwards. The young twigs are hairy but these often become smooth. The leaves are oval and 4-9 cm long by 1.1-4 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 2-6 mm long and hairy. The midrib is easy to see underneath the leaf. The top of the leaf often comes to a small point and the base tapers. There are 1-4 flower spikes in each leaf axil. They are 2 cm long. The flowers are sweetly scented. The floral tube is green or yellow. The fruit is yellow to orange an oval. It is 1.5 cm long by 1 mm wide.

Production

It flowers throughout the year.

Other Information

It is not known if it is used for food in Papua New Guinea.

Notes

There are 3 Cansjera species.

Names & Synonyms

Cansjera rheedii J. F. Gmel.Cansjera scandens Roxb.Cansjera timorensis Decne

References (9)

Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 380
Cowie, I, 2006, A Survey of Flora and vegetation of the proposed Jaco-Tutuala-Lore National Park. Timor-Lests (East Timor) www.territorystories.nt/gov.au p 51
Dunlop, C.R., Latz, P.K., & Maconochie, J.R., 1976, A Botanical survey of Elcho Island. Northern Territory Botanical Bulletin 1:1-61 p 59
Hiepko, P., 1984, Opiliaceae, Flora Malesiana Series 1 Vol 10(1) p 51
Jackes, B.R., 2001, Plants of the Tropics. Rainforest to Heath. An Identification Guide. James Cook University. p 71
Morley, B.D., & Toelken, H.R., (Eds), 1983, Flowering Plants in Australia. Rigby. p231
Paczkowska, G . & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 414
Wheeler, J.R.(ed.), 1992, Flora of the Kimberley Region. CALM, Western Australian Herbarium, p 566
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew