BOTANY TAXONOMY AND NOMENCLATURE.

The islands of borneo and new guinea have the greatest concentration of species of elaeocarpus. The genus has about 300 species spread from madagascar through india, china melanesian region east to hawaii and polynesia, and south to australia and new zealand. Realated tree species that also bear edible fruit are elaeocarpus calo mala( blanco) Merr. from the philippines, elaeocarpus amninggi ture from the philippines and sulawesi, elaeocarpus glaberblume from thr indonesian island, and elaeocarpus madopetalus pierre from vietnam, cambodia and thailand. The australian species with edible fruit are the dark blue elaeocarpus cyaneus sims. Know as the blueberry ash, and elaeocarpus grandis F.Muell. Know as brush or silver quandong and blue fig, with a sour and insipid fruit. In New Zealand elaeocarpus dentalus (forst & forst) Valh fruit are eaten after cooking. Elaeocarpus robustus Roxb. Is grown from india to the philippines and is knoe most commonly in bangladesh as native olive or jalpai where it is cultivated on a limited scale for its sour fruit and timber. Description This 30 m evergreen tree has is leaves crowded at the apex of the pubescent, glahrescent twigs. Each leaf is oblong elliptical to obovate (8-17 cm by 3-7 cm) with a scrrated margin. The petioles are 2-4 cm long. The white flowers ascur on a many-flowerred raceme that is 714 cm long. Each pedicel is 4-8 mm long. The white petals are abovate oblong, 5 by 2 mm. The 30-40 stamens occur on a 0,5 mm long filament while anthers are 1-2 mm long. The fruit is a drupe (3-3,5 cm by 1,5-2 cm), ellipsoid, frequently with yellow spots and enclosed is a single smooth seed. Ecology and climatic requirements This species is found most commonly in lowland rainforest to 1500 m. Jamaica cherry, muntingia calabura L. (Elaeocarpaceae) is a minor fruit species indigenous to southern mexico , central america, northern south america and the greater antilles, that has become distributed in south-east asia and many other places where due to its good adaptation and number of trees found, people think it is a native. It is known most commonly in. English as

the jamaica cherry and panama berry. Spanish names include capolin and capulin blanco, majagua, niguito, calabura, uvilla, guacima cereza and memiso. In quechua it is sachacapuli, referring to its fruit resemblance to prunus capuli . in portuguesc it is known as calabura and pau de seda and in french bots de soil and bois. Names in asia include buah cherri and kerukup siam (Malaysia), cay trung ca (vietnam), datiles, cerezza and manzanita (philippines), tarkop farang (thailand), and cerri and talok (indonesia). This neotropical pionner tree is widely distributed from mexico to bolivia and brazil, but is rarely grown on a commercial scale. Fruit are sold in mexican markets. It tends to be an invasive plant since birds disperse the seeds and they germinate readily. Uses and nutritional composition The sweet, sticky and sometimes slightly astringent berries are consumed fresh and as preserves and jam. The berries are sold in local mexican markets and are very popular in the philippines with children. In most cases it is not a plant cultivated for its fruit and they are gathered normally from spontaneous trees. The fruit is very rich in vitamin c, calsium, phosphorus and iron. The volatiles are dominated by alcohols, esters and carbonyl compounds. The root is used as an antiseptic in vietnam and an abortifacient drug in malaysia. In colombia, infusions of flowers are used as an tranquillizer and tonic, and in the philippines to treat toothachers and for their antidyspeptic, antispasmodic and diaphoretic properties . in some countries the flowers infusions are used to treat headaches or symptoms of a cold. Three cytotoxic flavonoids have been isolated. Leaf decoctions are antidierrhocal and bark decoctions are used as emollients. The pilable bark can be used to make cordage that is very strong. The sapwood is yellowish or whitish and the heartwood reddish brown, fine grained and easily worked. It is used generally as a fucl, as it gives off little smoke. It is being evaluated as a source of paper pulp. The tree is also used for shade and as an ornamental. Botany TAXONOMY and nomenclature jamaica cherry, muntingia calabura L. Is included by some authors in yhe family tiliaceae or flacourtiaceae.

Description This is a rapidly growning pioneer tree of forest gaps that can reach from 5 to 12 m in height with spreading nearly horizontal, fan like branches. Normally an evergreen, it does shed most of its leaves in places where there is a marked dry seasion. The alternate leaves are simple lanceolate or oblong (4 14 cm long by 1-4 cm wide) and pointed at the apex. The upper surface is dark green with minute sticky hairs and the underside is grey or brown hairy. The hermaphrodite flowers (1,25-2 cm wide) are borne in the leaf axils, singly or in twos or threes with 4-9 days between sequential openings of the individual flowers. Five fine green sepals and five white, sometimes light pink, petals surround many prominent yellow stamens. A range of floral forms exist from flowers with large pistils and few staments to flowers with reduced pistilsand over 100 stamens. The flowers that open early have fewer stamens and large pistils. The round or globular berries (1-1,25 cm dia) are red, sometimes yellow with a smooth, thin, tender skin. The pulp is light brown, soft and juicy with aa musky somewhat fig-like flavour, containing numerous, minute black or dark-brown seeds. Ecology and climatic requirements This tropical to near tropical tree growns up to 1200 m in elevation and can withstand oseacional low night temperatures, althought it does better in a warm, humid climate. It needs at least 1000 mm annual rainfall.