Golden pearl willow
Maesa montana

Family: Primulaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows to about 3.5 m high. It can be 10 m high. The leaves have stalks. The stalks are 1-1.5 cm long. The leaves are 3-15.5 cm long by 1.5-7 cm wide. They are oval and with teeth along the edge. The tip narrows. They taper towards the base. There are 8-12 veins on each side of the main vein. The flowering stalks are in the axils of leaves and are 2-7 cm long. The flowers are white. The fruit are 3 mm across.

There are about 200 Maesa species. They are mostly tropical. Also put in the family Myrsinaceae. They are also put in the family Maesaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Nepal it grows from 250-1500 m altitude. It grows in moist hill forest. In China they are in mixed forests on hillsides between 400-2800 m altitude in S China. Hobart Botanical Gardens. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Taiwan, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten. The young leaves are used for tea.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Don mong, Jhiunali, Jin zhu liu, Ke tu a bo, Thinke

Synonyms

Maesa argentea (Wallich) A DC var. kwangsiensis Handel-Mazzetti; Maesa castaneifolia Mez; Maesa formosana Mez; Maesa henryi H.H.Hu; Maesa martinii H. Leveille; Baeobotrys indica Roxb.; Maesa indica Wall. ex C.B. Clarke; Baeobotrys nemoralis Willd.; Maesa elongata (A.DC.) Mez;