1664

2: Edible fruits and nuts

Flacourtia inermis Roxb.

FLACOURTIACEAE

Governor plum (En). Indonesia: lobi-lobi, tomi-tomi. Malaysia: rukam masam, lovi-lovi. Thailand: takhop-thai (central).

Only known in a cultivated or semi-cultivated state, widespread from India through Malesia to New Britain.

The fruits are eaten raw but are often acid or astringent; they are excellent for making jams, syrup and preserves.

Unarmed tree, up to 15 m tall, trunk up to 35 cm diameter. Leaves ovate-oblong to ovate-elliptic, 8—20 cm x 4—12 cm. Fruit a globose berry, 2—2.5 cm in diameter, pink to red. Cultivated as a fruit tree up to 1300 m altitude, also on sandy soils. Some varieties have been distinguished, based on differences in leaves. Propagation is by seed or air layering or budding; yield varies from 40—100 kg fruit per tree per year. In Java the tree flowers in January—February and fruit ripens after 4—5 months.

[56]Morton, J.F., 1987. Fruits of warm climates. Creative Resource Systems Inc., Winterville, N.C., USA. 503 pp.
[93]van Steenis, C.G.G.J. et al. (Editors), 1950–. Flora Malesiana. Series 1. Vol. 1, 4–10. Centre for Research and Development in Biology, Bogor, Indonesia, and Rijksherbarium, Leiden, the Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen

Jansen, P.C.M., Jukema, J., Oyen, L.P.A. & van Lingen, T.G., 1991. Flacourtia inermis Roxb.. In: Verheij, E.W.M. and Coronel, R.E. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 2: Edible fruits and nuts. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea