Helicia cochinchinensis

Family: Proteaceae

What it is like

A shrub or tree. It grows 4-20 m high. The branches and leaves are smooth. The leaf stalk is 0.5-1.5 cm long. The leaf blade is oval and 5-12 cm long by 2.5-5 cm wide. It is papery or slightly leathery. The base is wedge shaped. There are a few teeth near the tip in young leaves. Leaves taper to a short tip. There are 6-7 pairs of veins. The flower racemes are in the axils of leaves. They are 8-14 cm long. The flowers are whitish or yellow. The fruit is narrowly oval and 1-1.5 cm long by 0.8-1 cm wide. It is bluish black.

There are about 90 Helicia species mostly in SE Asia with some in N Australia.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in evergreen and mixed forests on plains or mountain slopes between 100-500 m altitude in S China. It can grow up to 1700 m altitude. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Japan, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw.

Edible parts

Seeds, nuts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Xiao guo shan long yan, Xiachuxialo

Synonyms

Helicia annularis W. W. Smith; Helicia tonkinensis Lecomte;