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Sauropus androgynus

Authority (L.) Merr. Family Magnoliopsida:Dilleniidae:Euphorbiales:Euphorbiaceae Synonyms Common names Editor Ecocrop code 9593

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A shrub with long upright or falling over principal trunks reaching up to 3.5 m in height, but is kept much lower in cultivation. It has side branches appearing to be pinnately divided branches, but with rose to carmine radiate flowers on the underside, a white or pinkish fruit opening at ripening to release three black seed. USES Tender young shoots and stripped leaves, often together with the flowers and fruits, are consumed as vegetables raw as well as cooked and mixed with other foods. Leaves are used for dying food and they can also be used as feed for cattle and poultry. The small, white fruits are sometimes comfited into a sweetmeal. Leaves and roots have medicinal properties. It can be planted as a living fence. GROWING PERIOD Perennial, harvesting is carried on throughout the year. First harvest may be taken after 55-70 days. In Java, it flowers year-round and fruiting is usually abundant. COMMON NAMES Star gooseberry, Katuk, Babing, Binahian, Ngub, Hvaan baanz, Phakwan-ban, Cherkor manis, Chekkurmanis, Madhura cherai, Cherai, Simani, Thavasai murungai. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: S. albicans, S sumatranus, Clutia androgyna. Katuk is probably native of India. It is well adapted to lowland tropical conditions and in Indonesia and Java it occurs from sea level to 1300 m in elevation.
Sources
SOURCES (S. androgynus Merrill) Hackett C 1982 pp 87 [FER, PHO, DEP, PH, TEXT, TEMP] Rice R 1990 pp 230-231 [RAIN, TEMP, TEXT, DRA] Martin F 1984 pp 170-172 [TEMP, RAIN, PHO, DRA, TEXT, USE] Siemonsma J 1993 pp 244-246 [USE, TEMP, LIG, RAIN, TEXT, FER, DRA]