White-flowered Embelia
Embelia ribes

Family: Primulaceae

What it is like

A shrub 1-2 m tall. It has purple or red stalks. It can be bushy or climbing. It can grow 35 m long. The branches are angled and have ridges along them. They have a rusty coating. The leaf stalk is 5-10 mm long. The leaf blade is narrowly oval. It is 5-8 cm long by 3-3.5 cm wide but can be smaller or larger. They are leathery. The base is wedge shaped and the edges curl. They taper to the tip. The flowering stalk is at the end of the plant. It forms a pyramid shape. It is 10-15 cm long. The flowers are greenish white and papery. The fruit is bright red and round. It is 3-4 mm across. Two subspecies have been described.

There are about 140 Embelia species. It is also used in medicine. Also put in the family Myrsinaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the tropics in SE Asia. It occurs in clear forest. In Cambodia it is in pine forests near 700 m altitude. In China they grow between 100-2000 m altitude in S China. In Indonesia it grows up to 1,500 m above sea level. In Yunnan. It occurs in the Western Ghats in India.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit can be eaten. (The fruit taste sweet but make the tongue go numb.) Young leaves and young fruit are eaten cooked. They are also eaten raw as a side dish with rice. The sour leaves are used as a substitute for tamarind in soups and vegetable dishes. The juice of the plant have sugar added to make a drink. The fruit are used to adulterate black pepper.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, spice

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Akar asam kubang, Akar kecham, Akar kelimpar, Akar sulur kerang, An li ge si, Areuj kathembang, Aroi kachembang, Baberang, Babrung, Bai huan suan teng guo, Baibirang, Biranga, Birangi Kabuli, Butterfly pea, Chua-ngut, Chu'prek sangkong, Gang dui biu, Hidum pongkung, Kakannie, Kan-pa-lar, Laoqiu, Madie, Mchou preuk, Memory improver, Myingaung-nayaung, Re-ngut, Sawbwa-sa, Songgui, Thun-mun, Vaivarang, Vavading, Vayuvilanga, Vidanga, Vizhal, Vrishanasana, Wawrung, Yup-nga-ru

Synonyms

Antidesma gorssularia Raeusch.; Calispermum scandens Lam.; Embelia garciniifolia Wallich ex Miq.; and several others