Phyllanthus acidus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Synonyms

• Cicca acida Merr.

Vernacular names

• Otaheite gooseberry, Malay gooseberry (En)
• Indonesia: ceremoi (Aceh), cereme, cerme (Indonesian)
• Malaysia: chermai
• Philippines: iba (Tagalog), bangkiling (Bisaya), karmay (Ilokano)
• Burma: thinbozi-hpyoo
• Cambodia: kântûët
• Laos: nhôm baanz
• Thailand: mayom
• Vietnam: chùm ruôt.

Distribution

Origin perhaps in Madagascar, now naturalized and cultivated pantropically, also in South-East Asia.

Uses

The acid fruits are eaten raw (with sugar) or cooked and prepared in numerous ways. Refreshing drinks are prepared from the fruits. Young leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Bark of the root can be used in tanning. The root is a purgative, but infusions are used to alleviate asthma and skin diseases.

Observations

Shrub or tree, 2-9 m tall. Leaves ovate, 2-7 cm long, arranged like a pinnate leaf along the branches. Flowers male, female or hermaphrodite, 4-merous, rosy, arranged in up to 12 cm long panicles. Fruit a globose drupe, more or less 6-8-lobed, 1-2.5 cm diameter, yellow-white. Seeds 4-6. In tropical to subtropical climates, preferably on moist sites, up to 1000 m altitude. Propagation usually by seed, but also by budding or cutting.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 ed. 3 Volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines.

• Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. 2nd ed. 2 Volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2444 pp.

• Morton, J.F., 1987. Fruits of warm climates. Creative Resource Systems Inc., Winterville, N.C., USA. 503 pp.

• Ridley, H.N., 1922-1925. The Flora of the Malay Peninsula. 5 Volumes. Government of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. L. Reeve & Co., London.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen