Edible Plants of the World

Assyrian Plum, Sebastan tree

A tropical plant. It grows on rocky soils. It grows in dry to moist deciduous forests between 200-1,500 m above sea level. It can grow in deserts and arid conditions. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

Also known as:

Balatha, Bhokri, Glue berry, Gonda, Goy, Gundi, Idondo, Iriki, Lamotinalika, Lasoda, Lasura, Magora, Nakerachettu, Pohon lasura, Samadjo, Sapistan, Sebesten-plum, Selu, Shelti, Sudan teak, Taung-thanut, Thanat, Vidi maram, Wadganda

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Assyrian Plum grow?

Found in: Africa, Asia, Australia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, China, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guam, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ivory Coast, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nigeria, North Africa, Pacific, Pakistan, Palestine, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are about 300 Cordia species.

Status: It is fairly commonly used in West Africa.

Growing Assyrian Plum, Sebastan tree

Cultivation: Plants can be grown from seed. Seeds are soaked in cold water for 6 hours before planting and then germinate in 40-60 days. Seedlings in a nursery can be planted out after 4-6 months. It can also be grown by stem cuttings.

Edible Uses: The leaves are boiled in water then mixed with salt and chilli peppers. The flowers are also eaten. The ripe fruit are eaten. They are mixed with honey to make a sweetmeat. The seed kernels are eaten. The young tender fruit are eaten as a vegetable. They are also pickled. They can be dried and stored.

Production: It is fairly fast growing. It starts flowering when 3-5 years old. It flowers and fruits all year round. Fruit ripen in 30-45 days. A tree can produce 20 kg of fruit is a year.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
Fruit 138 2.1 0.3 - - 0.6 66.4
Nuts dried 510 34.8 - - - - 5.6
Leaves 65 5.1 7.2 - - - 64

References

Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 46

Aberoumand, A., 2008, Comparison of protein values from seven wild edible plants of Iran. African Journal of Food Science. Vol 2. pp 73-76

Aberoumand, A. and Deokule, S. S., 2009, Determination of Elements Profile of Some Wild Edible Plants. Food Anal. Methods. 2:116-119

Ambe, G., 2001, Les fruits sauvages comestibles des savanes guinéennes de Côte-d’Ivoire : état de la connaissance par une population locale, les Malinké. Biotechnol. Agron. Soc. Environ. 5(1), 43-48

Angami, A., et al, 2006, Status and potential of wild edible plants of Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 5(4) October 2006, pp 541-550

Awas, T., 1997, A Study on the Ecology and Ethnobotany of Non-cultivated Food Plants and Wild Relatives of Cultivated crops in Gambella Region, Southwestern Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University. p 42

Bailey, F. M., 1913, Comprehensive Catalogue of Queensland Plants. Queensland Government. p 338

Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 133

Bourret, D., 1981, Bonnes-Plantes de Nouvelle-Caledonie et des Loyaute. ORSTOM. p 87

Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.

Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 93

Cribb, A.B. & J.W., 1976, Wild Food in Australia, Fontana. p 27

Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 225

Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 93

Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org

Food Composition Tables for use in East Asia FAO http://www.fao.org/infoods/directory No. 465

Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 133

GAMMIE,

Gueye, M., et al, 2014, Wild Fruits Traditionally Gathered by the Malinke Ethnic Group in the Edge of Niokolo Koba Park (Senegal). American Journal of Plant Sciences 5, 1306-1317

Hahn, K., et al, 2018, The Use of Wild Plants for Food: a National Scale Analysis for Burkina Faso (West Africa) Flora et Vegetatio Sudano-Sambesica 21, 25-33

Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 217

IRVINE,

Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 33, 130

Kala, C. P., 2009, Aboriginal uses and management of ethnobotanical species in deciduous forests of Chhattisgarh state in India. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 5:32

Kannan, M., et al, 2015, Ethnobotanical survey on wild edible plants of Kalrayan Hills, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India. Global J. Res. Med Plants & Indigen. med. 4(12): 236-246

Kenneally, K.E., Edinger, D. C., and Willing T., 1996, Broome and Beyond, Plants and People of the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley, Western Australia. Department of Conservation and Land Management. p 72

Khan, D. & Shaukat, S.S., 2006, The Fruits of Pakistan: Diversity, Distribution, Trends of Production and Use. Int. J. Biol. Biotech., 3(3):463-499

Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 1762

Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 179

Marwat, S. K., 2011, Medico-ethnobotanical studies of edible wild fruit plants species from the flora of northwestern Pakistan (D. I. Khan district). Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 5(16) pp 3679-3686.

Oudhia, P., 2007. Cordia myxa L. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 15 October 2009.

Paul, A., 2013, Minor and uncultivated fruits of Eastern India, 2nd International Symposium on Minor Fruits and Medicinal Plants

SAXENA,

SHORTT,

Singh, D. et al, 2014, Local wild plants from the Thar Desert for improved health and food security. in Promotion of Underutilized Indigenous Food Resources for Food Security and Nutrition in Asia and Pacific. FAO. Bangkok p 147

Smith, A.C., 1991, Flora Vitiensis Nova, Lawaii, Kuai, Hawaii, Volume 5 p 155

Sp. pl. 1:190. 1753

Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 209

Thaman, R. and W. Clarke, Paper on Agroforestry on Aneityum and Tanna, Vanuatu from Internet

USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/econ.pl (10 April 2000)

Vivien, J., & Faure, J.J., 1996, Fruitiers Sauvages d'Afrique. Especes du Cameroun. CTA p 84

WATT,

Wheeler, J.R.(ed.), 1992, Flora of the Kimberley Region. CALM, Western Australian Herbarium, p 767

World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew