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Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels

Family Name:	Myrtaceae
Synonyms:	Myrtus cumini, Calyptranthes jambolana, Syzygium jambolanum, Eugenia jambolana, Eugenia cumini
Common Name:	Java Plum, Jambolan, Jiwat, Salam, Kerian Duat, 乌墨, 乌口树, 乌木, 黑墨树, 海南蒲桃

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Bird-Attracting Plant

Butterfly-Attracting Plant

Fruit or Vegetable

Herb or Spice

Suitable for Roadsides

Fragrant Plant

Drought Tolerant

Tree

Syzygium cumini, young trees in landscape

Syzygium cumini, leaves and immature fruits

Syzygium cumini, leaves & immature fruits

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Tree (Medium (16m-30m))
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Maximum Height	12 m to 30 m
Tree or Palm – Trunk Diameter	0 to 0

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Tropical eastern Africa, China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia
Native Habitat	Terrestrial (Secondary Rainforest, Monsoon Forest, Temperate Forest, Riverine)
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal, Temperate

Local Conservation Status

Non-native (Spontaneous (Naturalised))

Description and Ethnobotany

Others - Plant Morphology	Fairly fast-growing tree with dense crown, reaches full size in 40 years. Typically forks into multiple trunks at around 0.9-1.5m near the ground. Mature leaves glossy dark green with yellow mid-rib, young leaves pinkish, scented like turpentine. Flowers small, produced in powderpuff inflorescences, fragrant. aging from creamy-white to rose-pink before dropping off. Fruit formation occurs around 32 days after flowering. Fruits are fleshy, obong berries (2 x 1.7cm), ripening from green to purplish-red to shiny purplish-black. Attractive to birds, squirrels, monkeys and feral pigs. Edible raw, taste ranges from astringent sour to fairly sweet.Plant blooms from May to August in Malaysia, and fruits can be harvested in Nov to Dec. Seeds are recalcitrant and do not not dry or store well -- to be sown soon after collection. May be planted lose together as wind-break. Tolerates drought and short-term flooding when established.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits Food (Fruit or Vegetable) (Herb or Spice) Others: Flowers are a good source of nectar and used to make good quality honey. Fruits eaten raw or made into juice, sauces, jams and preserves. Fermented fruits made into wine or vinegar. High in vitamins A and C. Many parts of plant used as remedies in traditional medicine. Leaves and bark used against diarrhoea, dysentery, digestive ailments and fever. Leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and seeds reported to be effective in treating diabetes. Leaves and bark used to reduce blood pressure and treat bleeding gums. Bark yields brown dye and tannin used in tanning leather and preserve fishing nets. Wood is strong and water-resistant, used to make railway sleepers and funiture. Plant regarded as sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, and commonly planted in temple compounds. Leaves and fruits used in religious worship. Many Hindus called the plant the "fruit of the gods" because Lord Rama is said to have subsisted on the fruit in the forest for 15 years during his exile from Ayodhya.

Others - Plant Morphology

Fairly fast-growing tree with dense crown, reaches full size in 40 years. Typically forks into multiple trunks at around 0.9-1.5m near the ground. Mature leaves glossy dark green with yellow mid-rib, young leaves pinkish, scented like turpentine. Flowers small, produced in powderpuff inflorescences, fragrant. aging from creamy-white to rose-pink before dropping off. Fruit formation occurs around 32 days after flowering. Fruits are fleshy, obong berries (2 x 1.7cm), ripening from green to purplish-red to shiny purplish-black. Attractive to birds, squirrels, monkeys and feral pigs. Edible raw, taste ranges from astringent sour to fairly sweet.Plant blooms from May to August in Malaysia, and fruits can be harvested in Nov to Dec. Seeds are recalcitrant and do not not dry or store well -- to be sown soon after collection. May be planted lose together as wind-break. Tolerates drought and short-term flooding when established.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Edible Plant Parts : Edible Fruits
Food (Fruit or Vegetable) (Herb or Spice)
Others: Flowers are a good source of nectar and used to make good quality honey. Fruits eaten raw or made into juice, sauces, jams and preserves. Fermented fruits made into wine or vinegar. High in vitamins A and C. Many parts of plant used as remedies in traditional medicine. Leaves and bark used against diarrhoea, dysentery, digestive ailments and fever. Leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and seeds reported to be effective in treating diabetes. Leaves and bark used to reduce blood pressure and treat bleeding gums. Bark yields brown dye and tannin used in tanning leather and preserve fishing nets. Wood is strong and water-resistant, used to make railway sleepers and funiture. Plant regarded as sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, and commonly planted in temple compounds. Leaves and fruits used in religious worship. Many Hindus called the plant the "fruit of the gods" because Lord Rama is said to have subsisted on the fruit in the forest for 15 years during his exile from Ayodhya.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Fragrant (Flowers) (Day)
Landscape Uses	General, Suitable for Roadsides, Shade Providing Tree / Palm
Thematic Landscaping	Economic Garden, Naturalistic Garden

SGMP Treatment

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Bird-Attracting, Butterfly-Attracting
Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Bee))
Seed or Spore Dispersal	Biotic (Fauna)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance	Drought Tolerant, Waterlogged Soils (Drains Site), Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Maintenance Requirements	Moderate
Propagation Method	Seed, Stem Cutting
Propagation Method Remarks	Seeds do not dry or store well. Sow as soon as possible after collection.

Foliar

Foliage Retention	Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Smooth, Glossy / Shiny, Thick

Prominent Young Flush Colour(s)	Pink
Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem	Opposite
Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Oblong)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acuminate
Foliar Base	Rounded / Obtuse
Typical Foliar Area	Mesophyll ( 45cm2 - 182.25 cm2 )
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)

Non - Foliar and Storage

Trunk Type (Non Palm)	Woody
Bark Colour(s)	Grey
Mature Bark Texture	Scaly

Stem Type & Modification	Woody
Root Type	Underground (Tap Root, Fibrous Root)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality	Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s)	Cream / Off-White, Pink
Inflorescence Type	Panicle

Flowering Period	Once Yearly
Flowering Habit	Polycarpic
Inflorescence Size Remarks	Flowers age from creamy-white to rosy pink.

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Black, Blue
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Fleshy Fruit , Berry

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	1865
Species ID	3158
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.