Common Name:

General Information

Casearia grewiifolia is an evergreen shrub or a tree that usually grows from 2 - 20 metres tall, occasionally to 35 metres. The bole can have buttresses of up to 1 metre and is fluted at the base when old[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

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

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea to northeastern Australia

Habitat

In not too shady, open, primary and secondary forests and in dry thickets, in rather barren and stony localities, often on calcareous soil and marl, also on coral limestone rocks; at elevations up to 450 metres, rarely ascending to 1,300 metres[]

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The fruit is an ellipsoid, orange to yellow capsule around 25 - 40mm x 17 - 18mm, containing several seeds that are enveloped in a fleshy, orange-red 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

Roots, bark, leaves, flowers and seeds are febrifuge and tonic. They are used to treat fever, itch and diarrhoea[].

The leaves are used in the treatment of a swollen pancreas[].

Other Uses

None known

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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