Changes

*''Phyllanthus acidissimus'' (Blanco) Muell. Arg. (1863),*''Phyllanthus distichus'' (L.) Muell. Arg. (1866),*''Cicca acida'' (L.) Merr. (1917).

*Otaheite gooseberry, Malay gooseberry, country gooseberry (En)*Cerisier de Tahiti (Fr)*Indonesia: ceremoi (Aceh), ceremai, cereme, cerme (Indonesian), caramele (southern Sulawesi)*Malaysia: chermai, chermala, kemangur

*Cambodia: kântûët, kântouot srôk*Laos: nhôm baanz, mak nhom, nhom ban²*Thailand: mayom(general)*Vietnam: chùm ruôt., tầm ruôt

The acid fruits are eaten raw (latex is credited with sugar) or cooked emetic and prepared purgative activity. In Indonesia, the bark is heated with coconut oil and spread on eruptions on feet and hands. In Java, an infusion of the root is taken to alleviate asthma. In Borneo, roots are used in numerous waysthe treatment of psoriasis of the feet. Refreshing drinks Although the roots are prepared from weakly poisonous, in Malaysia they used to be boiled and the fruitsvapour inhaled to relieve cough and headache. Young leaves In the Philippines, leaf decoctions are eaten applied to urticaria, and a decoction of the bark is used to treat bronchial catarrh. In Burma (Myanmar), the fruit is used as a vegetablelaxative. Bark In India, the fruits are taken as a liver tonic to enrich the blood. The juice of the root can be used bark is reported to have been employed in tanningcriminal poisonings.  The root fruit flesh is added to many dishes in Indonesia as a purgativeflavouring. In the Philippines, but infusions are the fruit juice is used to alleviate asthma make cold drinks and skin diseasesthe fruit to make vinegar. In Malaysia, ripe and unripe fruits are served as a relish, syrup or sweet preserve. The fruits are also combined with other fruits in making chutney or jam, because of their setting properties. Young leaves are cooked as a vegetable in Indonesia, Thailand and India. The wood is fairly hard, strong, tough and durable if seasoned. The bark has limited use in India as a tanning agent.

Shrub or *A monoecious, small, glabrous tree, 2-9 up to 10 m tall. Leaves with phyllanthoid branching, bark rough, grey, with prominent lenticels; cataphylls not persistent, blackish-brown, their stipules triangular-ovate; deciduous branchlets ascending, 2(20-7 )25-52 cm long, with 25-40 leaves.*Leaves arranged like a pinnate leaf along the branches, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (4-)5-9 cm × (2-)2. 5-4.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded, apex acute, petiole 2.5-4 mm long, stipules triangular-acuminate.*Flowers in dense, cushion-shaped cymules at the nodes of leafless branchlets on older wood, and usually also on proximal branchlets of current year's growth, pale green to reddish; maleflowers 4-merous, filaments and anthers free, dehiscing vertically; female or hermaphroditeflowers on a stout pedicel, 4-merous, rosydisk deeply lobed or split, arranged in up to 12 cm long paniclesstyles connate, deeply bifid, staminodes present. *Fruit a globose drupedrupaceous, more or less 6oblate, 1-81.5 cm × (1.2-lobed, )1.5-2(-2.5 ) cm diameterwhen fresh, shallowly 6- or 8-lobed, greenish-yellowto creamy-white. *Seeds 4-6, smooth.  In tropical to subtropical climates, preferably north-eastern Brazil ''P. acidus'' has been found in coastal forest. In South-East Asia it is cultivated on moist humid sites, up to 1000 m altitude. Propagation usually by seed, but also by budding or cutting.

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