Glochidion coccineum

Family: Phyllanthaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 1-4 m tall and sometimes taller. The branches are angular and hairy. The leaves are oblong and leathery. They are a dull green underneath. The flowers are in clusters in the axilsof leaves. The male flowers are lower and the female flowers are higher. The fruit is a flattened round capsule 6-7 mm long by 15 mm wide. It is hairy and has 10 grooves.

Also put in the family Euphorbiaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in open forests and sometimes on limestone. In southern China it grows between 400-1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Hta-ma-soke, Kon-mama, Tamasok, Tan teep, Taw-insok, Washa-nam

Synonyms

Agyneia coccinea Buch.-Ham.; Diasperus coccineus (Buch.-Ham.) Kuntze; Phyllanthus coccineus (Buch.-Ham.) Mull.Arg.; and others