Ceylon-olive
Elaeocarpus serratus

Family: Elaeocarpaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 20 m tall. It has a rounded compact crown. The trunk is light yellowish white. The leaves are small and oval and taper towards the base. They have shallow teeth along the edge. The leaves turn rich orange red as they age. The flowers are white. The fruit are like olives but dull greenish-yellow. They are 4 cm long. The seeds are large and knobbly. There are 3-4 seeds in each fruit. The fruit pulp is acidic.

There are about 360 Elaeocarpus species mostly in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is native from India to Malaysia. It grows in the wet lowlands. It grows up to 800 m above sea level in Sri Lanka. It grows in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests up to 1,600 m above sea level in Indonesia.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sri Lanka (country/location of origin), West Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten either pickled or in curries. They can be eaten raw. They are also used in drinks.

It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. It can also be grown from cuttings.

It grows moderately slowly.

Its other names

Local names

Avil, Bengal olive, Bhadraksham, Jalpai, Jolopari, Kara, Karakka, Karamava, Nallakara, Perinkara, Ulangkarei, Uttraccham, Vailyakara, Veralikkai, Veralu, Welaru

Synonyms

Elaeocarpus barnardii Burkill; Elaeocarpus cuneatus Wight; Elaeocarpus ganitrus Roxb. ex G. Don; Elaeocarpus malabaricus Oken; Elaeocarpus perim-kara DC.; Elaeocarpus perincara Buch.-Ham.; Ganitrus roxburghii Wight; Ganitrus sphaerica (Gaertn.) K. Schum.; Misipis serratus Raf.; Monocera serrata Turcz.;