Ma Dan | Java Plum Tree | Syzygium cumini
Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels
Family Name: Myrtaceae
Synonyms: Myrtus cumini, Calyptranthes jambolana, Syzygium jambolanum, Eugenia jambolana, Eugenia cumini
Common Name: Java Plum, Jambolan, Jiwat, Salam, Kerian Duat, 乌墨, 乌口
Others - Plant Morphology :
Fairly fast-growing tree with dense crown, reaches full size in 40 years. Typically forks into multiple trunks at around 0.9-1.5m near the ground. Mature leaves glossy dark green with yellow mid-rib, young leaves pinkish, scented like turpentine. Flowers small, produced in powderpuff inflorescences, fragrant. aging from creamy-white to rose-pink before dropping off. Fruit formation occurs around 32 days after flowering. Fruits are fleshy, obong berries (2 x 1.7cm), ripening from green to purplish-red to shiny purplish-black. Attractive to birds, squirrels, monkeys and feral pigs. Edible raw, taste ranges from astringent sour to fairly sweet.Plant blooms from May to August in Malaysia, and fruits can be harvested in Nov to Dec. Seeds are recalcitrant and do not not dry or store well -- to be sown soon after collection. May be planted lose together as wind-break. Tolerates drought and short-term flooding when established.
Ethnobotanical Uses :
Edible Plant Parts (Edible Fruits)
Food (Fruit & Vegetable;Herb and Spice)
[Others]: Flowers are a good source of nectar and used to make good quality honey. Fruits eaten raw or made into juice, sauces, jams and preserves. Fermented fruits made into wine or vinegar. High in vitamins A and C. Many parts of plant used as remedies in traditional medicine. Leaves and bark used against diarrhoea, dysentery, digestive ailments and fever. Leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and seeds reported to be effective in treating diabetes. Leaves and bark used to reduce blood pressure and treat bleeding gums. Bark yields brown dye and tannin used in tanning leather and preserve fishing nets. Wood is strong and water-resistant, used to make railway sleepers and funiture. Plant regarded as sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, and commonly planted in temple compounds. Leaves and fruits used in religious worship. Many Hindus called the plant the "fruit of the gods" because Lord Rama is said to have subsisted on the fruit in the forest for 15 years during his exile from Ayodhya.
