Vaccinium whitfordii
Merr.
Katmo, Katmon
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(c) Melbert James Baul, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Melbert James Baul
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President and Fellows of Harvard College
gbif· cc0
President and Fellows of Harvard College
Description
A small shrub or tree from 1 to 5 m tall. The leaves are about 1.5 cm long and 5 mm wide. The flowers are small and red. The fruit are borne singly in the axils of leaves. The berries are small and black.
Edible Uses
The berries are small, black, juicy, subacid, sweet, and of good quality. The ovoid berries, which turn purple or blackish when fully ripe, are about 5mm in diameter.
Traditional Uses
The berries are eaten raw.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
A tropical plant. They are common in Benguet and occur from northern Luzon to some parts of the Philippines with high elevations. It grows between 1,000-2,500 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Asia, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia,
Cultivation
The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round.
Production
It flowers and fruits all year round.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Deadly Nightshade
Atropa belladonna
Joan Simon from Barcelona, España
Katmo
Vaccinium whitfordii
(c) Melbert James Baul, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Melbert James Baul
Deadly Nightshade: Tall herbaceous plant (1-2m), single shiny black cherry-sized berries, star-shaped calyx, large oval leaves, sweet but dangerous taste.
Katmo: Low woody shrub, berries in clusters with crown/remnant calyx ring, sweet taste.
Also Known As
Fafalong, Gutmo
References (4)
- Brown, W.H., 1920, Wild Food Plants of the Philippines. Bureau of Forestry Bulletin No. 21 Manila. p 140
- Monsalud, M.R., Tongacan, A.L., Lopez, F.R., & Lagrimas, M.Q., 1966, Edible Wild Plants in Philippine Forests. Philippine Journal of Science. p 464
- PROSEA handbook Volume 9 Plants yielding non-seed carbohydrates. p 190 and No. 2.
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
