Pumpkin bush tree
Sauropus macranthus

Family: Phyllanthaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It grows 3-4 m tall. The leaves are narrowly oval and 4-20 cm long by 4-8 cm wide. They are wedge shaped or rounded at the base. The flowers are in the axils of leaves and there can be one or several flowers in a group. The fruit stalks are 9-13 cm long and the fruit are round with lobes and 1.5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. They are red. There are 1-3 white seeds.

They have also been put in the family Euphorbiaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in broad-leaved forests between 500-1,500 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Pohon labu hutan

Synonyms

Aalius macrantha (Hassk.) Kuntze; Glochidion umbratile Maiden & Betche; Sauropus longipedicellatus Merr. & Chun; Sauropus spectabilis Miq.; and others