Damson, Sovereignwood, Damson plum
Terminalia sericocarpa

Family: Combretaceae

What it is like

A large spreading tree. It can be 15-30 m tall and spreads to 5 m across. It loses its leaves during the year. It has a dense broad crown. It can have buttresses. The stem is erect and branching. The bark is rough and develops a checkered pattern. It can also have cracks along it. The branches come out in layers. The leaves are arranged in spirals. They are smooth and oval. Leaves are 2-20 cm long by 1.5-8 cm wide. They taper towards the base. They are shiny rich green on the upper surface and paler underneath. The tip has a short point. The leaves turn bright coloured before dropping. The leaf stalk is 1.5 cm long. The flowers are cream and have a long unpleasant scent. They are about 0.5 cm wide and in hairy spikes 5-10 cm long in the axils of leaves near the ends of branches. The fruit are oval, flattened, and fleshy with a hard stone inside. Fruit are silky hairy but become smooth. There is a slight ridge around the edge of the fruit. The fruit are 1.3-1.8 cm long and 0.8-1 cm wide. They are pink or red and become purple when ripe. The flesh layer is thin. The fruit flesh is edible. The seed is 1.4 cm long.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It occurs naturally in coastal monsoon vine forest and in rainforest in northern Australia. It is often on sandy soils and near streams. The soils need to be well drained. It grows from sea level to 750 m above sea level. It is damaged by drought and frost. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. In Townsville palmetum.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The fleshy layer around the fruit is eaten.

The fruit are highly prized.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds

How it is grown

It can be grown from fresh seed.

It is a fast growing tree. In Australia flowering occurs in September to December and fruiting from December to May.

Its other names

Local names

Makkulurr

Synonyms

Myrobalanus sericocarpa (F. Muell.) Kuntze;