Common Name: Wampee

General Information

Clausena lansium is an attractive, fairly fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree with a dense crown, reaching a height of 3 - 12 metres[, ]. The short bole can be up to 40cm in diameter[, ].
The edible fruit is particularly popular in Thailand[], and the plant is cultivated there and in various other areas of the tropics and subtropics for its fruit[, , ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Vietnam.

Habitat

Humid lowland woodland[]. Forests, forest edges, gallery forests, wooded grasslands and in secondary regrowth near villages[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the subhumid to humid tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,450 metres. It is also cultivated in the subtropics[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 30°c, but can tolerate 12 - 35°c[]. The plant can survive short-lived frosts down to about -2°c, but can be killed by temperatures of -7°c or lower[, ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 4,000mm[].
Prefers a sunny position in most fertile soils[]. Plants seem to tolerate a range of soils including the deep sand and oolitic limestone derived soils, but they thrive best in rich loams[]. Requires a well-drained soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[].
Plants can start flowering and fruiting when 5 - 8 years old from seed[].
Well-developed mature trees can produce up to 45 kg fruits per season[]
There are some named varieties[]
The leaves have a pleasant anise scent when bruised[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw, preserved, dried or made into jams etc[]. A pleasant flavour[]. The juicy, aromatic, grape-like fruits vary in flavour from sweet, subacid to sour[, ]. The more acid forms are used for making jellies when they are fully grown but not yet ripe, when ripe they are used to make fruit drinks[]. The fruits have a tough, thin, pliable rind that is oily and resinous and detaches easily from the flesh[]. The pale yellow, globose fruit is 15 - 30mm x 10 - 20mm[].

The leaves are put in curries[].

Medicinal

The leaves, fruits or seeds are all widely employed in China and Vietnam for the treatment of gastro-intestinal problems, including acute and chronic inflammation and ulcers[].

The fruit is said to have stomachic and cooling effects and to act as a vermifuge[, ]. The Chinese say that if one has eaten too many lychees, eating this fruit will counteract the bad effects[]. The halved, sun dried, immature fruit is a Vietnamese and Chinese remedy for bronchitis[, ].

Thin slices of the dried roots are a remedy for bronchitis[, ].

The leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat coughs, asthma, hepatitis and dermatological diseases[].
A decoction of the leaves is used as a hair wash to remove dandruff and preserve the colour of the hair[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant's dense growth makes it a good hedge plant[].

Other Uses

The plant can be used as a rootstock for Citrus, provided a few twigs are left growing below the graft[].

Wood - white and close-grained[]. Resembles boxwood[].

Propagation

Seed - germination occurs in a few days[].
Greenwood cuttings
Semi-ripe cuttings
Air layering
Veneer-grafted onto seedlings of the same species[].
The plant can be grafted onto some citrus rootstock, but long-term survivability is questionable[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: How many suns are in our solar system