Digital Garden

Syzygium cumini 

Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun or jambolan

Scientific Name- Syzygium cumini 

Common Name- Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun or jambolan 

Family – Myrtaceae 

Habit type – tree 

Leaves 

Evergreen leaves have a turpentine smell, and are opposite, 5–25 cm long, 2.5–10 cm wide, oblong-oval or elliptic, v blunt or tapering to a point at the apex; pinkish when young, becoming leathery, glossy, dark-green above, lighter beneath, with a conspicuous, yellowish midrib when mature. 

Bark 

Bark is rough, cracked, flaking and discoloured on the lower part of the trunk, becoming smooth and light-grey higher up. 

Flower 

Flowers are fragrant and appear in clusters 2.5 -- 10 cm long, each being 1.25 cm wide and 2.5 cm long, with a funnel-shaped calyx and 4–5 united petals, white at first, becoming rose-pink, shedding rapidly to leave only the numerous stamens. 

Fruit 

Fruits appear in clusters of just a few or 10–40, are round or oblong, often curved, 1.25–5 cm long, turning from green to light-magenta, then dark-purple or nearly black, although a white-fruited form has been reported in Indonesia. The skin is thin, smooth, glossy, and adherent. The pulp is purple or white, very juicy, and normally encloses a single, oblong, green or brown seed, up to 4 cm long. The fruit is usually astringent and the flavour varies from acid to fairly sweet. 

FACTS & MEDICINAL USES 

● The bark contains 13 - 19% tannins, It has served in tanning and also yields a brown dye that has been used in colouring and preserving fishnets.

● Both the seeds and the fruit are diuretic and have important carminative and astringent properties 254Th seeds also reduce blood sugar levels and are useful in the treatment of diabetes. 

● The branches are used to whiten the teeth. 

● The reddish-grey or reddish-brown heartwood is fine grained and is utilized in exterior joinery and carpentry. Wood is durable in water, resistant to termites. 

● In perennial plant systems it is often interplanted as a shade-provider with crops such as bananas, coffee and cocoa. 

● The flowers are very attractive to bees, yielding a quality honey.