Phaleria macrocarpa

(Scheff.) Boerl.

The great gora tree, God's crown tree

ThymelaeaceaeFruitPotential hazards — see below

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(c) Tu7uh, some rights reserved (CC BY)

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(c) Rafidah Abdul Rahman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Caution

The fruit can be eaten but requires careful processing; it is used primarily as medicine rather than food.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to about 550 m and occasionally to 1,000 m above sea level.

Asia, Indonesia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, SE Asia,

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 small tree. It grows 6-18 m tall. The young branches are hollow. The leaves are narrowly oval and 10-25 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. They are smooth, opposite and papery. There are 6-11 pairs of veins. The flowering shoots are at the ends of branches and in the axils of leaves or on the trunks. There can be 2-8 flowers in a group. The flowers are 2-4 cm long. The fruit is about 3-5 cm long by 3-4 cm across and oval. The fruit are green and turn red when ripe. The seeds are 1.5 cm long by 1.3 cm wide.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Medicinal Uses

The fruit is used medicinally and is valued as an antioxidant with documented medicinal benefits.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Phaleria macrocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is commonly called buah mahkota dewa, God's crown, pau and is a dense evergreen tree, indigenous to Indonesia. It is found in tropical areas of New Guinea up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level.

Production

Plants produce fruit about one year after planting.

Notes

It is an anti-oxidant and popular as medicine. It has been shown to have a range of medicinal benefits.

Names & Synonyms

Mahkota dewa, Pau, Pohon gora agung, Pohon mahkota dewa

Phaleria papuana Warb. ex K. Schum. & Lauterb.

References (3)

Hendra, R., et al, 2011, Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Cytotoxicity of Phaleria macrocarpa (Boerl.) Scheff Fruit. http://www.biomedcentral.com
May, R.J., 1984, Kaikai Aniani. A Guide to Bush Foods Markets and Culinary Arts of Papua New Guinea. Robert Brown and Associates. p 81 (As Phalena) - (Phaleria papuana)
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 442