Uvaria rufa
Blume
Torres strait scrambler, Sweet gum tree
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(c) Scott Zona, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
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(c) Rui Da Silva Pinto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rui Da Silva Pinto
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(c) Naufal Urfi Dhiya'ulhaq, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Naufal Urfi Dhiya'ulhaq
Summary
Source: WikipediaUvaria rufa is a species of vines or shrubs commonly known as susung-kalabaw ('Carabao teats') or Torres Strait scrambler, of the plant family Annonaceae. It grows naturally in Cambodia (where it is called /triəl svaː/ ទ្រៀលស្វា), Laos, Thailand, New Guinea, more widely in Malesia and in Cape York Peninsula Australia.
Description
A climbing shrub or creeper. It grows up to 20 m long. The younger parts are covered with hairs. The leaves are alternate and hairy. They are pointed at the tip and heart shaped at the base. They are 8 to 16 cm long. The flowers have a sweet smell. The fruit are borne in rounded clusters. They are oval, hairy and red. They contain two rows of flat semicircular seeds.
Edible Uses
The fruits of Uvaria rufa are edible, having a sharp sweet-sour taste. They are known colloquially as Suso ng kalabaw or susung-kalabaw ('Carabao teats') because of its physical appearance. The wood is also used as a Rattan substitute in making furniture and handicrafts.
Traditional Uses
The ripe fruit are eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. The dried fruit are used as a masticatory.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
An alcoholic tincture of the roots is used as an oxytocic. The bark has been shown to contain alkaloids.
Distribution
A tropical plant. They occur from central Luzon to southern Mindanao in the Philippines in small areas of shrub and in forests at low altitudes. It grows in southern China in mountainous sparse forests between 400-1700 m. altitude. In Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Asia, Australia, China, Cambodia, Cuba, East Timor, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Torres Strait, Vietnam, West Indies,
Cultivation
They are sometimes cultivated. Plants can be grown by seeds.
Production
In NE Thailand fruit are ripe March to May.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 90.2 | 146 | 35 | 0.7 | — | — | 0.6 | — |
