Carissa laxiflora

Family: Apocynaceae

What it is like

A sprawling shrub. It grows 2 m high. The leaves are small. The leaf stalks are 2-5 mm long and 0.8-1 mm wide. The blade is oval and 3-7.5 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. They are rounded at the base. There are 4-5 secondary veins on each side of the midrib. The flowering stalk is at the end of the plant. The flowers are 1-1.2 cm long and 5-7 mm wide. The fruit is round and 1-1.5 cm across. There is a tip at the end. They are black-purple when ripe. There is one seed inside. The fruit are edible.

There about 20-37 Carissa species. All Carissa species bear edible fruit. They grow in the tropics and subtropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows naturally in vine thickets along the foreshore dunes above high water mark. It grows from sea level to 20 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Torres Strait

How it is used for food

It is not known if the fruit are used as food in Papua New Guinea.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.

Plants flower and fruit throughout the year.

Its other names

Local names

Patali, Puttarli

Synonyms

Arduinia laxiflora (Benth.) K.Schum.;