Gogan
Saurauia napaulensis
Family: Actinidiaceae
What it is like
A large deciduous shrub or small tree. The bark is reddish and the wood soft and spongy. The leaves are large and narrowly oval and have rusty hairs underneath. The leaves are 18-36 cm long. There are prominent side veins and teeth along the edge. The young leaves are very rusty coloured and hairy. The flowers are pink and in clusters in the axils of the leaves. There are many flowers and they are about 1.3 cm across. They have 5 petals that have fringes at the edges. The fruit are green and have 4-5 lobes. They are fleshy with a sweet pulp and are edible.
There are 250 Saurauia species. They were previously in the Saurauiaceae family.
Where it is found
It is a tropical and subtropical plant. In Yunnan in China it grows between 250-2,250 m altitude. It grows in secondary forest. In Melbourne Botanical gardens.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Thailand, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.
Edible parts
Fruit, leaves
How it is grown
In Sikkim fruit are available October to November.
Its other names
Local names
Da bu qiu, Gagun, Godanda, Gogan, Gogen, Gogina, Gogna, Gogun, Gokul, Gugna, Gungsning, Jia sten, Kasur-kung, Kasur, Kauji, Maraw, Numraw, Pangara, Pitiguo, Pleshi dhu, Ratendu, Soda nepal, Tiar-pui, Tonshi, Xiangya