Burney vine, Crow ash, Fire Vine
Trophis scandens

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A vine or climbing shrub. The young branches are brown. There are short grey hairs when young. The leaves are simple and oval. They are 3-13 cm long by 2-4.5 cm wide. They are slightly sandpapery on the under surface. There are 7-12 pairs of secondary veins on each side of the midrib. The fruit are berries 8 mm long by 5 mm across. The occur in clusters in the axils of leaves. The receptacle can be yellow, pink, red or orange. There is one seed inside. This is 8 mm long. The flesh is edible.

Rubbing against the stem can cause a burning sensation which can last for a while. There is one Malaisa species.

Where it is found

It grows in tropical and subtropical locations. It grows in rainforest in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, as well as in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It grows from sea level to 1,100 m above sea level. In China it grows in scrub on hills in S China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, East Timor, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds

How it is grown

It can be grown from fresh seed. It can also be grown from cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Pok Lak Pam, Niu jin teng

Synonyms

Caturus scandens Loureiro; Malaisa acuminata Planch.; Malaisa cunninghamii Planch.; Malaisa scandens (Lour.) Planchon; Malaisa tortuosa Blanco; Malaisa viridescens Planch.;