Syzygium megacarpum
(Craib.) Rathakrishnan & N.C. Nair
Giant laulau
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Aparajita Datta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Yercaud-elango
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Yercaud-elango
Description
A shrub or tree. It grows up to 2 m high. It can be 20 m tall. It has 4 sided twigs. The leaves are leathery and 15-25 cm long by 8-12 cm wide. The flowers are white with many stamens. They are 2.5 cm across. They are in the axils of leaves and at the ends of branches. The fruit are pinkish red and 8-15 cm long. They are widest at the centre and narrow to both ends. The flesh is white and has 5 seeds.
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw. The large, crunchy fruit is well flavoured, although having a subtle sweet taste. The pinkish-red ovoid-globose fruits are about 5cm long. The above report on edibility says that the plant is native to New Guinea and the Pacific, whereas all other reports we have say that the plant comes from China, Bangladesh and the Malay Peninsular. It is therefore possible that the above report should be applied to a different species from this one.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows in the understory of less disturbed evergreen forest. In southern China it grows in moist low forests and near rivers between 300-1,200 m above sea level. In Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, USA, Vietnam,
Cultivation
It can be grown from fresh ripe seed.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe.
Production
It grows quickly in damp soils.
Synonyms
References (7)
- Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 393
- Ferns, Useful Tropical Plants
- Gardner, S., et al, 2000, A Field Guide to Forest Trees of Northern Thailand, Kobfai Publishing Project. p 195
- Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 296
- Kurz, S., 1877, The Forest Flora of British Burma. Vol. 1 p 345 (As Eugenia macrocarpa)
Show all 7 references Hide references
- Recher, P, 2001, Fruit Spirit Botanical Gardens Plant Index. www.nrg.com.au/~recher/ seedlist.html p 2 (As Eugenia megacarpa)
- Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 430
