Black fruit
Terminalia melanocarpa

Family: Combretaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows 15 m tall. The leaves are simple and alternate or opposite. The leaves are 5.4-12 cm long and 3-7.5 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 0.5-20 cm long. The flowers are clustered in the axils of leaves. Male and female flowers occur near the tip of these spikes and bisexual flowers near the base. The flowers have 5 sepals and no petals. They are cream or white. The flowers are 5-6 mm long. The fruit is fleshy and green to black. They are 2.3-3.3 cm long by 2-2.4 cm wide. They have a beak. The fruit has wings while it is green. There is one seed that is brown and 2.2-2.5 cm long.

There are about 200-250 Terminalia species. They are tropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in rainforest and along the edges of rainforest in tropical Queensland. It grows from sea level to 300 m altitude. It can grow along beach fronts. It can tolerate salt spray and wind.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Pacific, USA

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Myrobalanus melanocarpa Kuntze;