Carissa spinarum L.

English: Bush Plum

German: Karanda-Pflaume

Mandarin: 甜假虎刺 (tian jia hu ci)

Kingdom: Plantae (2659)

  Phylum: Tracheophyta (2572)

    Class: Magnoliopsida (2167)

      Order: Gentianales (113)

        Family: Apocynaceae (37)(family description)

          Genus: Carissa (2)

            Epithet: spinarum L. (1)

Synonyms: Antura edulis Forssk., Arduina brownii K.Schum., Arduina campenonii Drake, Arduina edulis (Forssk.) Spreng., Arduina inermis (Vahl) K.Schum., Arduina laxiflora (Benth.) K.Schum., Arduina xylopicron (Thouars) Baill., Cabucala brachyantha Pichon, Carandas edulis (Forssk.) Hiern, Carissa axillaris Roxb., Carissa campenonii (Drake) Palacky, Carissa candolleana Jaub. & Spach, Carissa cochinchinensis Pierre ex Pit., Carissa comorensis (Pichon) Markgr., Carissa congesta Wight, Carissa coriacea Wall. ex G.Don, Carissa cornifolia Jaub. & Spach, Carissa dalzellii Bedd., Carissa densiflora Baker, Carissa diffusa Roxb., Carissa dulcis Schumach. & Thonn., Carissa edulis (Forssk.) Vahl, Carissa gangetica Stapf ex Gamble, Carissa hirsuta Roth, Carissa horrida Pichon, Carissa inermis Vahl, Carissa lanceolata R.Br., Carissa laotica Pit., Carissa laxiflora Benth., Carissa macrophylla Wall. ex G.Don, Carissa madagascariensis Thouars, Carissa mitis Heynh. ex A.DC., Carissa obovata Markgr., Carissa oleoides Markgr., Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines, Carissa ovata R.Br., Carissa papuana Markgr., Carissa paucinervia A.DC., Carissa pubescens A.DC., Carissa revoluta Scott-Elliot, Carissa richardiana Jaub. & Spach, Carissa scabra R.Br., Carissa sechellensis Baker, Carissa septentrionalis (Pichon) Markgr., Carissa suavissima Bedd. ex Hook.f., Carissa velutina Domin, Carissa villosa Roxb., Carissa xylopicron Thouars, Carissa yunnanensis Tsiang & P.T.Li, Damnacanthus esquirolii H.Lév., Jasminonerium densiflorum (Baker) Kuntze, Jasminonerium dulce (Schumach. & Thonn.) Kuntze, Jasminonerium edule (Forssk.) Kuntze, Jasminonerium inerme (Vahl) Kuntze, Jasminonerium laxiflorum (Benth.) Kuntze, Jasminonerium madagascariense (Thouars) Kuntze, Jasminonerium ovatum (R.Br.) Kuntze, Jasminonerium pubescens (A.DC.) Kuntze, Jasminonerium sechellense (Baker) Kuntze, Jasminonerium suavissimum (Bedd. ex Hook.f.) Kuntze, Jasminonerium xylopicron (Thouars) Kuntze

axillaris => armpit, axillary

cochinchinensis => from Cochinchina (old name for various southern regions of Vietnam)

comorensis => from the Comoro Islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the south-east coast of Africa, to the east of Mozambique and north-west of Madagascar

congesta => very close together, crowded, pressed

coriacea => leather-like

dalzellii => in honor of Nicholas Alexander Dalzell (1817–1878), Scots-born Indian forester and botanist

densiflora => dense-flowered

diffusa => spread about, wildly or loosely spreading

dulce => sweet-tasting, mild

dulcis => sweet, or any taste not acrid

edule => edible

edulis => edible

esquirolii => in honor of Joseph Henri Esquirol (1870-1934), French missionary, linguist and plant collector in Yunnan, P.R. China

gangetica => found in or around the Ganges river

hirsuta => having long distinct hairs, rough, hairy

inerme => unarmed

inermis => unarmed

lanceolata => lancet-like in form

laxiflora => loose flowered

laxiflorum => loose flowered

macrophylla => large leaved

madagascariense => from Madagascar

madagascariensis => from Madagascar

obovata => egg-shaped

oleoides => resembling Olea, Olea europaea

opaca => dark, with a dull surface

ovata => oval, egg-shaped; elliptic, but broader at the base

ovatum => oval, egg-shaped; elliptic, but broader at the base

papuana => from New Guinea

pubescens => downy, slightly hairy

revoluta => latin revolutus, rolled, e.g. from the rolled leaf margins

richardiana => in honor of Achille Richard (1794-1852), French botanist and physician

scabra => rough to touch

spinarum => spiny

velutina => velvet-like, covered closely with short, soft hairs

villosa => hairy or shaggy

yunnanensis => pertaining to Yunnan, a province of south-west China

Climate: tropical

Habitat: mesophytic

Habit: shrub

Flower colour: red, white

Check for Carissa spinarum at

World Flora Online, GBIF or IPNI

• [1746] Carissa edulis - Flora of China @ efloras.org