Common Name:

General Information

Casearia graveolens is a deciduous shrub or a small tree that can grow up to 6 metres tall[]. It usually grows 10 - 15 metres tall in China[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

The pounded fruit is used as a fish poison[].
The fruit is a capsute containing several seeds. Although the capsule of some species (and possibly also the seeds contained therein) is somewhat toxic, the fleshy aril surrounding the seeds is a different matter and in some species (see information below on edibility to see if this is one of them) is often eaten and is considered to be perfectly wholesome[, ].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam

Habitat

Forests; at elevations from 500 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

An oil obtained from the seeds is used for cooking purposes[].

The fruit is a capsule containing a number of seeds that are surrounded by a fleshy aril[]. We have no specific reports of edibility for this species, but the aril of several species in this genus are known to be edible and, unless it is very bitter, in an emergency the aril of this species is likely to supply a tiny bit of nutriment[].

Medicinal

About 5gm of a gum obtained from the plant is chewed daily in order to make a person strong[].

The bark is bitter and tonic[, ].

The leaves are anthelmintic and antirheumatic. A decoction or an infusion is useful in the treatment of joint pain[, ].

The fruits are diuretic and sudorific[, ].

The above reports from [] and [] on medicinal use in S. America need to be further investigated. The reports refer to an Asian species that is said to be naturalized in S. America. There is a very similar report for another Asian native, Casearia glomerata. It would appear likely that at least one of this reports is eroneous[].

Other Uses

The light yellow wood is even-grained, moderately hard. The wood is of poor quality and little or not at all used, but it has a good grain and should do for carvings, plates, etc[].

Propagation

The seed of species in this genus often has a short period of viability and so is best sown as soon as it is ripe. The seed is collected when the fruits start to open - leave them in the sun to open completely to release the seed, then rinse the seed in water to remove the arils[]. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed, only just covering the seed, and keep moist. Germination rates vary, but can usually be expected to be low, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 30 days[]. When the seedlings are 3 - 5cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out a few months later[].
Cuttings.

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