Melodinus fusiformis

Champ. ex Benth.

Apocynaceae Edible: Fruit, Vegetable 38 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Melodinus fusiformis is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou), Indochina, and the Island of Luzon in the Philippines.

Description

A woody creeper. It grows 4 m long. The leaves are oblong and 6-15 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. There are 3-5 flowers in a group at the ends of branches. The flowers are tube shaped and white with hairs inside. The fruit is a long berry 7 cmlong by 2 cm wide. They taper at both ends.

Edible Uses

Both the fruit and leaves are eaten as vegetables.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in dense mountain forests between 800-1,800 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, Indonesia, SE Asia,

Synonyms

Melodinus tenuicaudatus Tsiang & P. T. Li

References (1)

Xu, You-Kai, et al, 2004, Wild Vegetable Resources and Market Survey in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Economic Botany. 58(4): 647-667. (As Melodinus tenuicaudatus)