Mock willow
Excoecaria indica

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 18-27 m tall. The trunk has thorns. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped and 5-12 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. There are 2 small glands at the base. The leaves taper to the tip. There can be rounded teeth along the edge. The flowers are in spikes near the ends of branches. They are 5 cm long. There are many male flowers and 1-2 female flowers at the base. The fruit is a round woody capsule. It is 3 cm across.

There are about 40 Exocaecaria species. They grow in the tropics. The name may change to Shirakiopsis indica (Willd.) Esser.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in swampy places up to 250 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

CAUTION: These normally have very poisonous latex. The ripe seeds are eaten.

Edible parts

Seeds, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ai tui, Apid-apid, Gurah, Krahut, Ku-ra, Ludai, Samo thale, Tagewa

Synonyms

Sapium indicum Willd.; Stillingia diversifolia Miq.; Stillingia indica (Willd.) Baillon; Excoecaria diversifolia (Miq.) Mull. Arg.;