SINGAPORE CHERRY
listen about me
Muntingi calabara L.
Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiospermae
Class: Eudicots
Order: Malvales
Family: Muntingiaceae
Genus: Muntingia
Species: clabara
Scientific Name: Muntingi calabara L.
Common Name-
English: Panama Cherry, Singapore Cherry, Strawberry tree, Jam tree,
Cotton Candy berry, Calabura
Marathi: Paanchara पांचारा
Tamil: தேன் பழம் ten pazham
Telugu: Nakkaraegu
Kannada: Gasagase hannina mara
Distribution It is native to the Neotropics , from Mexico south to Bolivia and Argentina,
with edible fruit, and has been widely introduced in other tropical areas.
Description:
is a very fast-growing tree of slender proportions, reaching 25 to 40 ft in height, with
spreading, nearly horizontal branches. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, lanceolate or
ovate, long-pointed at the apex, oblique at the base. The flowers with 5 green sepals and 5
white petals and many prominent yellow stamens last only one day, the petals falling in the
afternoon. Flowers resemble strawberry bloom, hence the common name, Strawberry tree.
The abundant fruits are round, 1-1.25 cm wide, with red or sometimes yellow, smooth,
thin, tender skin and light-brown, soft, juicy pulp, with very sweet, musky, somewhat fig-
like flavor, filled with exceedingly minute, yellowish seeds, too fine to be noticed in eating.
The tree has the reputation of thriving with no care in poor soils. It is drought-resistant but
not salt-tolerant. Wherever it grows, fruits are borne nearly all year. The leaf infusion is
drunk as a tea-like beverage. Fruits contain hundreds of tiny seeds.