Coffee Plum is small, deciduous tree, growing to 6-10 m tall. Trunk and
branches are commonly thornless in old trees, but densely beset with simple
or branched, woody thorns when younger. Bark is light-brown to copper-red
or pinkish-buff, flaky. Young branches white-dotted by numerous circular
lenticels. Leaves narrow-ovate to ovate-oblong, rarely ovate-lancelike,
long-obtuse-acuminate, base broadly wedge-shped to rounded. Leaves are
smooth, shining above, mostly dull beneath, somewhat toothed, 7-10 X 3-4
cm. Leaf stalk is 6-8 mm long. Flowers arise in few flowered clusters in
leaf axils. Flowers smell of honey, and looks like small yellowish-white
balls of stamens. Male and female flowers are different and are on
different trees. Coffee plum is a rounded red to dark purple fruit, that is
about an inch wide. It is edible, and is relatively juicy. It can be eaten
raw, or transformed into juice or marmalades. Flowering: April-May.
Medicinal uses: The fruits and leaves are used against diarrhea.
Dried leaves are used for bronchitis. Roots against toothache.
Identification credit: Thingnam Sophia
Photographed in Imphal, Manipur.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled Coffee Plum is ...