Flacourtia hirtiusculaOliv. in Fl. Trop. Afr. 1: 121 (1868)
Flacourtia indica var. innocua(Haines) H.O.Saxena & Brahmam in Fl. Orissa 1: 79 (1994)
Flacourtia kirkianaH.M.Gardner in Trees Shrubs Kenya: 21 (1936)
Flacourtia lenisCraib in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1916: 259 (1916)
Flacourtia lucidaSalisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 366 (1796)
Flacourtia obcordataRoxb. in Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 835 (1832)
Flacourtia parvifoliaMerr. in Lingnan Sci. J. 6: 328 (1928 publ. 1930)
Flacourtia perrottetianaClos in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 4, 8: 218 (1857)
Flacourtia ramontchi var. renvoizeiFosberg in Kew Bull. 29: 254 (1974)
Flacourtia rotundifoliaClos in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 4, 8: 218 (1857)
Flacourtia rotundifoliaRoxb. in Hort. Bengal.: 73 (1814), not validly publ.
Flacourtia sapidaRoxb. in Pl. Coromandel 1: 49 (1796)
Flacourtia sepiariaRoxb. in Pl. Coromandel 1: 48 (1796)
Flacourtia sepiaria var. innocuaHaines in unknown publication
Flacourtia thoreliiGagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 55: 522 (1908)
Myroxylon diclineBlanco in Fl. Filip.: 813 (1837)
Stigmarota africanaLour. in Fl. Cochinch.: 633 (1790)
Stigmarota edulisBlanco in Fl. Filip., ed. 2.: 560 (1845)
Xylosma ellipticaTul. in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 5, 9: 343 (1868)
Verlangia indicaNeck. ex Raf. in Sylva Tellur.: 34 (1838)
Flacourtia indica (known commonly as ramontchi, governor's plum and Indian plum, is a species of flowering plant native to much of Africa and tropical and temperate parts of Asia. It has various uses, including folk medicine, fuel, animal food and human food.
This is a bushy shrubortree with a spiny trunk and branches. In shrub form, it grows up to 25 feet (7.6 m), and as a tree, it reaches a maximum height around 50 feet (15 m). The drooping branches bear oval leaves. The seeds are dispersed by birds.[3]
This tree has thorns similar to that of a lime or lemon tree. If in contact with the thorns, it leaves a nasty stinging pain.[citation needed]
It is also commonly known as the 'batako' plum.[4][5]
It was first described and published as Gmelina indicabyNicolaas Laurens Burman in Fl. Ind. 132, t. 39, fig. 5 in 1768, it was then re-published as Flacourtia indicabyElmer Drew Merrill in Interpr. Herb. Amboin. on page 377 in 1917.[2][6]
It is native to the countries (and regions) of Aldabra (Seychelles), Assam, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, southeastern China, Comoros, Congo, Ethiopia, Hainan, India, Java, Kenya, Laccadive Islands, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, South Africa (in the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces), Sudan, Sulawesi, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zaire and Zimbabwe.[2]
It has been introduced into various places such as Angola, Bahamas, Chad, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Mauritius, Nicobar Islands, Puerto Rico, (Island of) Réunion, Society Islands, Trinidad and Tobago.[2]
The ramontchi fruit itself is about an inch thick and red ripening purple. It is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layered carpels. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tang. It is eaten raw or made into jellyorjam. It can be fermented to make wine.[11]
The leaves and roots are used in herbal medicine for treatment of snakebite. The bark is believed to be effective for arthritis. Most parts of the plant are used for cough, pneumonia, and bacterial throat infection. It has also been used for diarrhoea.
Antimalarial compounds have been found in the aerial parts of Flacourtia indica.[15]
The tree is planted as a living fence; it was one of the species used for the Indian Inland Customs Line. The wood is used for firewood and small wooden tools such as plough handles.[11]
The plant is known as an occasionally invasiveintroduced species in some areas. It has been cultivated in Florida in the United States, and today, it occurs as a weed in some parts of the state.[16]
^Amarasinghe, N.R.; Jayasinghe, L.; Hara, N.; Fujimoto, Y. (2007). "Flacourside, a new 4-oxo-2-cyclopentenylmethyl glucoside from the fruit juice of Flacourtia indica". Food Chem. 102 (1): 95–97. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.05.004.
^Bhaumik, P.K.; Guha, K.P.; Biswas, G.K.; Mukherjee, B. (1987). "Flacourtin, a phenolic glucoside ester from Flacourtia indica". Phytochemistry. 26 (11): 3090–3091. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84606-3.
^Kaou, A.M.; Mahiou-Leddet, V.; Canlet, C.; Debrauwer, L.; Hutter, S.; Laget, M.; Faure, R.; Azas, N.; Ollivier, E. (2010). "Antimalarial compounds from the aerial parts of Flacourtia indica (Flacourtiaceae)". J. Ethnopharmacol. 130 (2): 272–274. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.045. PMID20457242.
