Terminalia ferdinandiana

Exell

Billy Goat plum, Kakadu plum

Combretaceae Edible: Fruit, Nuts, Gum 72 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Terminalia ferdinandiana, most commonly known as the Kakadu plum and also called the gubinge, billygoat plum, green plum, salty plum, murunga, mador and other names, is a flowering plant in the family Combretaceae, native to Australia, widespread throughout the tropical woodlands from north-western Australia to eastern Arnhem Land. Used as a traditional bush food and bush medicine for centuries, the fruit has especially high levels of vitamin C.

Description

A small to medium sized tree. It grows 4-10 m tall. It is a spreading tree (3 m) with a rounded crown. It looses its leaves during the year. The bark is creamy grey and rough. It has a checkered pattern and is somewhat flaky. The leaves occur in spirals. They are crowded near the ends of small branches. The leaves are large and smooth. They are somewhat leathery and oval to round. They can be 5-25 cm long and 5-20 cm across. They are light green and the veins show up distinctly. The leaf stalk is 2-10 cm long. The leaf stalk and main vein are yellowish-green. The leaves turn to yellow before falling. The flowers are cream, have 5 petals and have a strong nectar smell. They are 0.5 cm across and occur on spikes. The spikes can be 10-20 cm long. They develop in the axils of leaves towards the ends of small branches. The fruit is smooth and fleshy. It is oval and 1.5-2.5 cm long by 1-2 cm across. They have a short beak. They are yellowish-green when ripe. The young fruit are ribbed. (The fruit look like an immature olive). The fruit are edible. They have a single seed in a woody shell. The seed is edible.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. Fresh, it can have a drying effect in the mouth. It is used for making preserves and jams, is about 3cm long with a slightly bitter flesh, and looks and tastes similar to a gooseberry. It is one of the world's richest natural sources of ascorbic acid, with some forms containing up to 3,150mg of ascorbic acid per 100g of fruit. When ripe, the fruit turns soft and yellow-green in colour. To harvest, simply shake the trunk and the ripe fruits fall to the ground.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw. The fruit can be cooked and used for jams and chutneys. The gum is eaten. The seed is edible.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The pounded fruit is used as an antiseptic and as a soothing balm for aching limbs.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It occurs as an understorey tree in open forest in northern Australia. It prefers light sandy soil. The soil should be well drained. It suits an open sunny position. It is drought resistant. It is damaged by frost, being very frost sensitive. It suits seasonally dry tropical areas.

Where It Grows

Australia*,

Cultivation

It can be grown from fresh seed. Germination can take 6-12 weeks. It requires warm moist conditions. It is best to make a small cut in the seed to improve germination. It can re-grow from burnt stumps producing a low shrub that had been named Terminalia prostrata.

Propagation

Seed.

Other Uses

None known

Production

In Australia flowering occurs September to November and fruiting from March to July. The fruiting is related to rainfall and tends to be at the end of the wet season. A tree can yield 50 kg of fruit in a good season. Fruit will keep one week after harvest. They can be stored frozen. Fruit are generally collected from the ground but are easy to pick occurring in bunches near the ends of branches.

Other Information

This fruit is highly sought after. It has high Vitamin C value.

Notes

Fruit have very high Vitamin C. It can be 2-3,000 mg per 100 g of edible portion. This is 50 times citrus. There are about 200-250 Terminalia species. They are tropical.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Fruit	76.2	247	59	0.8	—	2907	2.4	0.7

Synonyms

Myrobalanus edulis Kuntze Terminalia edulis F.Muell. Terminalia latipes psilocarpa Pedley

Also Known As

Gabindji, Gabing, Gobin, Gubinge, Kabing, Mador, Manmohpan, Mardangich, Menangbere, Menthem, Murunga, Nanka-bakarra, Pirlamunga, Wardabidji, Wild plum

References (31)

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Bonney, N., 1997, Economic Native Trees and Shrubs for South Australia. Greening Australia (SA) inc. Campbelltown SA 5074 p 169
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