Common Name:

General Information

Glycosmis pentaphylla is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing up to 5 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild, mainly for local use as a food and medicine. It has gained in popularity as an edible fruit in parts of the Caribbean, where it is sometimes cultivated[]. It is also sometimes cultivated as an ornamental in various parts of the tropics[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Hillside and valley woods at elevations of 600 - 1,200 metres in southwest China[]. Prefers relatively dry habitats at elevations from sea-level up to 1,000 metres, and is commonly encountered in secondary thickets[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low to moderate elevations in the tropics. It should be hardy to at least 0°c[].
Succeeds in full sun to partial shade[]. Prefers a fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained medium that is rich in organic matter[].
The plant flowers and fruits all year round[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. Sweet and fleshy[]. The small, translucent pink fruits have a juicy flesh and a sort of spicy, gin-like flavour[]. The reddish, sub-globose fruit is 8 - 10mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The plant is often used in traditional medicine, both on its own and as an ingredient of various medicinal mixtures[]. Several alkaloids and amides that have been isolated from the plant are reported to have biological activities[].
Glycozolidol, a carbazole alkaloid isolated from the roots, is active against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria[].
Leaf and stem bark extracts have been shown to have a healing effect upon damaged liver tissue[].
Extracts of the root bark have been shown to exhibit significant activity in the treatment of diarrhoea. An ethanol extract was found to be more effective at lower dosages than an aqueous extract[].
A steam distillate of the leaves has shown high antifungal activity against Cladosporium cladosporioides, but no activity against Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli[].

A decoction of the roots is taken to treat bilious attacks. A decoction of roots and leaves is taken for intestinal trouble[].
An infusion of leaves and roots is given after childbirth as a protective medicine[].

The leaves are considered appetitive, stomachic and an infusion of roasted leaves is prescribed for women after delivery as an appetizer[].

In traditional Indian medicine, the plant is used to treat diarrhoea, coughs, rheumatism, anaemia, and jaundice[].

Juice of the leaves is used in fever, liver complaints and as a vermifuge[].
A paste of the leaves, mixed with ginger, is applied for eczema and skin affections[].

A decoction of the roots is given for facial inflammation[].

Other Uses

Alkaloid extracts of the roots have been shown to inhibit crown gall tumours produced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens in a potato disk bioassay[]. The roots have also been shown to inhibit the growth and survival of larvae of the citrus root weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, when incorporated in their diet[].
A petroleum ether extract of the root has been shown to be lethal to the larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex sitiens, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi[].
Leaf extracts have shown a high degree of nematicidal action against the adults and larvae of the nematode Radopholus similis; as well as larvicidal activity against the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus.[]. The bio-active compound responsible for this activity was identified as the quinazolone alkaloid arborine[].

The pale wood is sometimes used for tool handles[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings of half-ripe wood.

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