Common Name: Governor's Plum

General Information

Flacourtia indica is a slow-growing, ornamental, spiny evergreen shrub or tree[]. It can reach a height of 10 metres, but is usually smaller[].
The tree is cultivated in some areas of the tropics, particularly in Asia, for its edible fruit[, ]. Nearly everywhere cultivated in the tropics of the Old World and less often in the New World[]. The plant is also sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Malaysia, Indo-China.

Habitat

Common in tropical dry deciduous and thorn forests. It also occurs in seasonally dry forest, woodland, bushland, thickets, wooded grassland, and often in riparian vegetation[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	5.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A very adaptable plant, it grows in the drier to moist tropics from sea level to an elevation of 2,400 metres[, ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 40°c, but can tolerate 10 - 48°c[]. Mature plants can be killed by temperatures of -2°c or lower, but young growth will be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 750 - 1,400mm, but tolerates 500 - 2,000mm[].
Prefers a position in full sun in a fertile, well-drained soil[, ]. Tolerant of a variety of soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range .5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 8[]. Plants are fairly drought resistant once established[, ].
A dioecious plant[]. Whilst female trees will often fruit in the absence of a male plant, for better crops both male and female plants should be grown[].
It coppices very well[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Resembling a small plum in shape, the deep red to purple fruit has a soft, juicy pulp that can range in flavour from acidic to sweet[, ]. At its best, the fruit is sweet and agreeable, and can be eaten out of hand[]. Otherwise, it is used in making jams, preserves, jellies etc[, ]. The fruit is often astringent, especially if not fully ripe[, ]. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter[].

Young shoots[].

Medicinal

An important herb in Ayurveda, where infusions of the bark, leaves and root are used medicinally to treat conditions such as fever, diarrhoea and inflammations[].

The leaf is carminative, astringent and used as a tonic, an expectorant and for asthma, pain relief, gynaecological complaints and as an anthelmintic, and treatment for hydrocele, pneumonia and intestinal worms[]. The leaves are used as an antidote to snake bites[].

The Lobedu tribe of southern Africa take a decoction of the root for the relief of body pains. The root and ash have been used as a remedy for kidney complaints[].

In India, an infusion of the bark is used as a gargle for hoarseness. In Madagascar, the bark, triturated in oil, is used as an anti-rheumatic liniment[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants are usually spiny and, when closely planted, form a close impenetrable barrier that serves as a tall hedge, windbreak or boundary screen[, , ]. It tolerates frequent trimming[].

Other Uses

The bark is used as a tanning material[].

The sapwood is light brown, gradually merging into the chocolate-brown heartwood. It is very hard, heavy to very heavy (850 kg/m³), straight grained and durable, though liable to splitting. It has a fine even texture. Used for agricultural implements such as ploughs, posts, building poles, rough beams, walking sticks and the manufacture of turnery articles[]. The small size of the wood limits its usefulness[].
The wood is used for fuel and for making charcoal[, ].

Propagation

Seed -
Layering
Grafting.

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