Olax imbricata

Family: Olacaceae

What it is like

A shrub. Sometimes it is climbing. It is 2-6 m tall. The branches do not have thorns. The leaf stalk is 5-10 mm long. The leaf blade is oval and 5-10 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. The base is rounded and it tapers to a short tip. There are 6-9 pairs of veins. The flowering racemes are in the axils of leaves. They are 1.5-2.5 cm long. There are 3 petals 8-10 mm long and they are white or yellow. Two petals have 2 lobes. The fruit is fleshy with a hard covering over the seed. It is oval and almost covered with an orange covering. It is 1.5-2 cm across.

There are about 40 Olax species. They are tropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in forests including secondary forests below 200 m in S China. It can be in mangrove and peat swamp and can grow up to 900 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, Australia, China, East Timor, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The aril or fleshy layer around the seeds in the fruit is eaten. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Aratpari, Balagon, Biton, Kaya kil, Kodak acing, Leteng, Lumnok, Meribut, Ubet-ubet, Tie qing shu

Synonyms

Olax wightiana Wall. ex Wight & Arnold; Ximenia olacoides Wight & Arnott;