Kelat gelam
Syzygium incarnatum

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 27 m high. The trunk is 45 cm across. It can have buttresses 1.5 m high. The bark is reddish and rough. It is papery and flaky. The leaves are leathery and oval. They are 2.5-11 cm long by 1.5-5 cm wide. They are broadest in the middle to upper third. They are round at the tip. The edges roll inwards. There are 16 pairs of straight veins. The flowers occur in panicles in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. These are 12 cm long. The flowers have very short stalks. The fruit is whitish and oval. It is 12-14 mm long by 7-8 mm wide. The tip is flattened and hollowed. The outer layer is fleshy. The fruit is edible.

The roots are boiled with water and drunk as an energizer.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow in lowland forest often in swampy forest near rivers.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Kelat gelam

Synonyms

Eugenia cerina M. R. Henderson; Eugenia cerina var. montana M. R. Hend.; Eugenia cerina var. turbinata M. R. Hend.; Eugenia incarnata Elmer; Eugenia punctulata King [Illegitimate]; Syzygium cerinum (M. R. Hend.) I. M. Turner; Syzygium cerinum var. montanum (H. R. Hend.) I. M. Turner; Syzygium cerinum var. turbinatum (M. R. Hend.) I. M. Turner; Syzygium punctulatum Wall. [Invalid];