Indian mulberry, Noni

Where does Indian mulberry grow?

Found in: Africa, American Samoa, Andamans, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Cambodia, Caroline Islands, Central America, China, Chuuk, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, French Polynesia, FSM, Futuna, Guam, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Kosrae, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, North America, Northeastern India, Nuie, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Torres Strait, Tuvalu, United States, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, Yap

Notes: The fruit is considered to be a medicine. There are about 80 Morinda species. They grow in the tropics. Morinda has been shown to reduce the bacteria related to tuberculosis and control some forms of cancer.

Status: Trees are moderately common in some lowland areas of Papua New Guinea. Fruit are used more than the leaves. It is planted.

Growing Indian mulberry, Noni

Cultivation: Trees are grown from seeds. Seeds remain viable for at least 6 months. Seeds are planted in a nursery. They germinate in 3-9 weeks after sowing. Within 6 months trees grow to 1.5 m. Flowering and fruiting start in the third year. Trees last for up to 25 years. Trees can be grown from cuttings.

Edible Uses: The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable or pot herb. They are also blanched and eaten raw. The ripe fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It is often eaten with salt. Green fruit are curried. The ripe fruit are made into a drink with sugar and syrup. It is also used in marinades, sauces and dressings. The seeds of some forms are roasted and eaten. (Red, yellow and brown non edible dyes are obtained from the root.)

Production: They have a moderate growth rate. They can grow 0.75-1.5 m per year. Yields of 80,000 kg of fruit per hectare per year are possible.

Nutrition Info

Indian mulberry, Noni Photos

References

Ali, R. M., et al, (Eds.), 2010, ASEAN Herbal and Medicinal Plants. Forestry research Institute Malaysia. p 67

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 380

Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 216

Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 78

Ashton, M. S., et al 1997, A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka. WHT Publications Ltd. pdf p 335

Bajpai, O., et al, 2015, Tree species of the Himalayan Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, India: a checklist. Check List 11(4): 1718

Barwick, M., 2004, Tropical and Subtropical Trees. A Worldwide Encyclopedic Guide. Thames and Hudson p 282

Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 708

Borrell, O.W., 1989, An Annotated Checklist of the Flora of Kairiru Island, New Guinea. Marcellin College, Victoria Australia. p 124

Brock, J., 1993, Native Plants of Northern Australia, Reed. p 260

Burkill, I.H., 1935, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. p 1518

Cabalion, P. and Morat, P., 1983, Introduction le vegetation, la flore et aux noms vernaculaires de l'ile de Pentcoste (Vanuatu), In: Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquee JATBA Vol. 30, 3-4

Calvert, G., 2010, The Burdekin Delta Tree Guide. Lower Burdekin Landcare Association., Inc., Ayr p 133

Chandrashekara, U. M., 2009, Tree species yielding edible fruit in the coffee-based homegardens of Kerala, India: their diversity, uses and management. Food Sec. 1:361-370

Cherikoff V. & Isaacs, J., The Bush Food Handbook. How to gather, grow, process and cook Australian Wild Foods. Ti Tree Press, Australia p 187, 200

Chin, H.F., & Yong, H.S., 1996, Malaysian Fruits in Colour. Tropical press, Kuala Lumpur p 83

CHOCK,

Chowdery, T., et al, 2014, Wild edible plants of Uttar Dinajpur District, West Bengal. Life Science Leaflets. 47:pp 20-36 http://lifesciencesleaflets.ning.com

Clarke, W.C. & Thaman, R.R., 1993, Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands: Systems for sustainability. United Nations University Press. New York. p 246

Cooper W & Cooper W T, 1994, Fruits of the Rain Forest. RD Press p 194

Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 445

Cowie, I, 2006, A Survey of Flora and vegetation of the proposed Jaco-Tutuala-Lore National Park. Timor-Lests (East Timor) www.territorystories.nt/gov.au p 52

Cribb, A.B. & J.W., 1976, Wild Food in Australia, Fontana. p 43

CURREY,

Dobriyal, M. J. R. & Dobriyal, R., 2014, Non Wood Forest Produce an Option for Ethnic Food and Nutritional Security in India. Int. J. of Usuf. Mngt. 15(1):17-37

Elevitch, C.R.(ed.), 2006, Traditional Trees of the Pacific Islands: Their Culture, Environment and Use. Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa, Hawaii. p 513

Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1993, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 6. Lothian. p 447

Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 213

Fell, D.G. & Stanton, D.J., 2015: The vegetation and flora of Mabuyag, Torres Strait, Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Culture 8(1):1-33. Brisbane. ISSN 1440-4788.

Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org

Franklin, J., Keppel, G., & Whistler, W., 2008, The vegetation and flora of Lakeba, Nayau and Aiwa Islands, Central Lau Group, Fiji. Micronesica 40(1/2): 169–225, 2008

French, B.R., 1986, Food Plants of Papua New Guinea, A Compendium. Asia Pacific Science Foundation p 272

French, B.R., 2010, Food Plants of Solomon Islands. A Compendium. Food Plants International Inc. p 264

Friday, J. B., 2005, Forestry and Agroforestry Trees of East Timor. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/data/Timor/Timor trees.html

Garde, M., et al, 2003, A Preliminary List of Kundedjnjenghmi Plant Names. Northern Land Council. (Arnhem Land, Australia)

Groenendijk, J.J., in Plant Resources of SE Asia a Selection p

HANDY,

Hearne, D.A., & Rance, S.J., 1975, Trees for Darwin and Northern Australia. AGPS, Canberra p 88

Henderson, C.P. and I.R.Hancock, 1988, A Guide to the Useful Plants of the Solomon Islands. Res. Dept. Min of Ag. & Lands. Honiara, Solomon Islands. p 52

Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 198

Hiddins, L., 1999, Explore Wild Australia with the Bush Tucker Man. Penguin Books/ABC Books. p 144

http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/plants

Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 682

Isaacs, J., 1987, Bush Food, Aboriginal Food and Herbal Medicine. Weldons. p 73

Jackes, B.R., 2001, Plants of the Tropics. Rainforest to Heath. An Identification Guide. James Cook University. p 77

Jacquat, C., 1990, Plants from the Markets of Thailand. D.K. Book House p 89

Japanese International Research Centre for Agricultural Sciencewww.jircas.affrc.go.jp/project/value_addition/Vegetables

Jones D, L, 1986, Ornamental Rainforest Plants in Australia, Reed Books, p 91

Kitalong, A. H., DeMeo, R. A., & Holm, T., 2013, A Field Guide to the Native Trees of Palau. 2nd edition. USDA p106

Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 1816

Lamoureux, C.H., 1976, Trailside Plants of Hawaii's National Parks. Hawaii Natural History Association. p 68

Lavelle, M., 2008, Wild Flowers of Australia and Oceania. Southwater. p 83

Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 166

Leach, G. J., 1988, Bush Food Plants of the Blackwater and Karawari Rivers Area, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. Science in New Guinea 14(2). p 103

Lebot, V. & Sam, C., Green desert or ‘all you can eat’? How diverse and edible was the flora of Vanuatu before human introductions?. Terra australis 52 p 409

Levitt, D., 1981, Plants and people. Aboriginal uses of plants on Groote Eylandt. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra. p 121

Liefting, A., et al, Samoan plant names. http://en.wikipedia.org

Lorenzi, H., Bacher, L., Lacerda, M. & Sartori, S., 2006, Brazilian Fruits & Cultivated Exotics. Sao Paulo, Instituto Plantarum de Estuados da Flora Ltda. p 523

Low, T., 1991, Wild Food Plants of Australia. Australian Nature FieldGuide, Angus & Robertson. p 40

Low, T., 1992, Bush Tucker. Australia’s Wild Food Harvest. Angus & Robertson. p 130

Lujan, L. et al, 2014, Nutritional and Phenolic composition of Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) fruit at different ripeness stages and seasonal patterns harvested in Nayarit, Mexico International Journal or Nutrition and Food Sciences 3(5): 421-429

McClatchey, W. C., 2012, Wild food plants of Remote Oceania. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81(4) 371-380

Martin, F.W. & Ruberte, R.M., 1979, Edible Leaves of the Tropics. Antillian College Press, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. p 92, 216

Martin, M.A., 1971, Introduction L'Ethnobotanique du Cambodge. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Paris.

Monsalud, M.R., Tongacan, A.L., Lopez, F.R., & Lagrimas, M.Q., 1966, Edible Wild Plants in Philippine Forests. Philippine Journal of Science. p 535

Morton, J.F., The Ocean-Going Noni, or Indian Mulberry (Morinda citrifolia, Rubiaceae) and Some of its colourful relatives. in Economic Botany 46(3) pp 241-256, 1992.

Mua Bioversity Profile, 2013, Profile for Management of the Habitats and Related Ecological and Cultural Resources of Mua Island. Torres Strait Regional Authority Land & Sea Management Unit. p 32

Murakami, A. et al, 2014, Screening for the In Vitro Anti-tumor-promoting Activities of Edible Plants from Malaysia. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 64:1, 9-16.

NEAL,

Ochse, J. J. et al, 1931, Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Asher reprint. p 630

Ogle, B. M., et al, 2003, Food, Feed or Medicine: The Multiple Functions of Edible Wild Plants in Vietnam. Economic Botany 57(1): 103-117

Oomen, H.A.P.C., & Grubben, G.J.H., 1978, Tropical Leaf Vegetables in Human Nutrition, Communication 69, Department of Agricultural research, RTI Amsterdam, p 36, 44,

Ordas, J. A. D., et al, 2019, A checklist of Rubiaceae species from Eastern Samar, Visayas, Philippines. Check List 15 (2): 295–312

Paczkowska, G . & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Calatogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 514

Pasha, M. K. & Uddin, S. B., 2019, Minor Edible Fruits of Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 26(2): 299–313

Peekel, P.G., 1984, (Translation E.E.Henty), Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for Naturalists, Division of Botany, Lae, PNG. p 539, 538

Phon, P., 2000, Plants used in Cambodia. © Pauline Dy Phon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. p 445

Plants of Haiti Smithsonian Institute http://botany.si.edu/antilles/West Indies

Polinag, M. A., 2003, Food from the Wilderness. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Laguna.

Powell, J.M., Ethnobotany. In Paijmans, K., 1976, New Guinea Vegetation. Australian National University Press. p 110

Sakunpak, A. & Panichayupakaranant, P., 2012, Antibacterial activity of Thai edible plants against gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria and isolation of a new broad spectrum antibacterial polyisoprenylated benzophenone, chamuangone. Food Chemistry 130 (2012) 826–831

Savita, et al, 2006, Studies on wild edible plants of ethnic people in east Sikkim. Asian J. of Bio Sci. (2006) Vol. 1 No. 2 : 117-125

Scarth-Johnson, V., 2000, National Treasures. Flowering Plants of Cooktown and Northern Australia. Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery Association. Cooktown, Australia. p 95

Schatz, G.E., 2001, Generic Tree Flora of Madagascar. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden. p 334

Segura, S., et al, 2018, The edible fruit species in Mexico. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2018) 65:1767–1793

Selvam, V., 2007, Trees and shrubs of the Maldives. RAP Publication No. 2007/12 p 116

SHORTT,

Slik, F., www.asianplant.net

Smith, N and Wightman, G.M., 1990, Ethnobotanical Notes from Belyuen Northern Territory Australia. Northern Territory Botanical Bulletin No 10. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. p 19, 20

Smith, N. M., 1991, Ethnobotanical Field Notes from the Northern Territory, Australia, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 14(1): 1-65

Sp. pl. 1:176. 1753

Srichaiwong, P., et al, 2014, A Study of the Biodiversity of Natural Food Production to Support Community Upstream of Chi Basin, Thailand. Asian Social Science 10 (2):

Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 493

STURTEVANT,

Sujanapal, P., & Sankaran, K. V., 2016, Common Plants of Maldives. FAO & Kerala FRI, p 178

Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 404

Tanaka, Y & Van Ke, N., 2007, Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam. Orchid Press. p 126

Terra, G.J.A., 1973, Tropical Vegetables. Communication 54e Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, p 61

Thaman, R.R., 1976, The Tongan Agricultural System, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. p 411

Thaman, R. R., 1987, Plants of Kiribati: A listing and analysis of vernacular names. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 296

Thaman, R. R., et al, 1994, The Flora of Nauru. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 392. Smithsonian Institute p 189

Thaman, R. R, 2016, The flora of Tuvalu. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 611. Smithsonian Institute p 111

Tiwi Plants and Animals. 2001, Aboriginal flora and fauna knowledge from Bathurst and Melville Islands, northern Australia. Northern Territory Botanical Bulletin; No. 24 p 68

Topp, J. M. W., 1988, An Annotated Check List of the Flora of Diego Garcia, British Ocean Territory. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 313

Townsend, K., 1994, Across the Top. Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc. p 300

Townsend, K., 1999, Field Guide to Plants of the Dry Tropics. Society for Growing Australian Plants, Townsville Branch Inc. p 73

van Wyk, B., 2005, Food Plants of the World. An illustrated guide. Timber press. p 252

Verheij, E.W.M., and Coronel, R.E., eds 1991, Edible fruits and nuts in Plant Resources of South East Asia (PROSEA) 2:279.

Vigilante, T., et al, 2013, Island country: Aboriginal connections, values and knowledge of the Western Kimberley islands in the context of an island biological survey. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 81: 145-182

Waki, J., et al, 2008, Assessing the extent of diversity among noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) genotypes of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The South Pacific Journal of Natural Science 26, 2008, 11-

Walter, A. & Sam C., 2002, Fruits of Oceania. ACIAR Monograph No. 85. Canberra. p 204

Wheeler, J. R.(ed.), 1992, Flora of the Kimberley Region. CALM, Western Australian Herbarium, p 920

Whistler, A. S., Edible vascular plants of the Line Islands. Pacific Health Dialog. Vol. 3 No. 2

Whistler, W. A., 1988, Ethnobotany of Tokelau: The Plants, Their Tokelau Names, and Their Uses. Economic Botany 42(2): 155-176

Whistler, W. A., 2004, Rainforest Trees of Samoa. Isle Botanica Honolulu, Hawaii. p 139

Wightman, G. & Andrews, M., 1991, Bush Tucker Identikit. Common Native Food Plants of Australia’s top end. Conservation Commission Northern Territory. p 12

Wightman, G. M. & Andrews, M.R., 1989, Plants of Northern Territory Monsoon Vine Forests (Vol 1). Conservation Commission of Northern Territory. p 66

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

www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/treedb/

Yuncker, T.G., 1959, Plants of Tonga, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Hawaii, Bulletin 220. p 258

Yunupinu Banjgul, Laklak Yunupinu-Marika, et al. 1995, Rirratjinu Ethnobotany: Aboriginal Plant Use from Yirrkala, Arnhem Land, Australia. Northern Territory Botanical Bulletin No 21. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. p 57

Zawiah, N. & Othaman, H., 2012, 99 Spesies Buah di FRIM. Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia. p 174

Zuchowski W., 2007, Tropical Plants of Costa Rica. A Zona Tropical Publication, Comstock Publishing. p 349