Morinda citrifolia L.

Trees or shrubs to 25 ft tall, the branchlets 4-angled, glabrous, the nodes well spaced. Leaves oblong, 14-30 cm long, 12-18 cm wide, obtuse to acute at the apex, widely cuneate at the base, often slightly inequilateral, the costa grooved and subimmersed above, prominulous but appearing subplane beneath, to 0.3 cm wide proximally, the lateral veins ca. 8, prominulous, arcuate, the median veins to 5 cm apart, chartaceous to papyraceous, concolorous, glabrous or punctate above, glabrous beneath except the barbate vein axils; petioles to 2 cm long; glabrate, slightly alate adaxially; stipules oblong or oblong rotund, 10-20 mm long, 10-20 mm wide at the base, scarious, glabrous, appressed. Inflorescences axillary, glabrous, drying black, the peduncles 1-4, stout, to 3 cm long, the floral masses rotund to oblong, to 2 cm in diam. Flowers sessile, the hypanthium hidden in the floral mass, the calycine cup short, truncate, the margins scarious, the lobes evanescent, glabrous; corolla white, the tube cylindrical, ca. 6 mm long, carnose, glabrous outside, villose inside near the mouth, the lobes 5, narrowly oblong, to 9 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, obtuse, carnose, glabrous; stamens 5, long exserted at anthesis, the anthers subversatile, linear oblong, to 5.5 mm long, twisted and crescentic on shedding pollen, the filaments slightly unequal in length, inserted at the corolla mouth; stigmas 2, spread at anthesis, plumose in appear-ance, narrowly oblong, to 5.2 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, the margin erose. Fruits fleshy, succulent, as large as a man's hand, drying black.

A tropical plant. They are common along the seashores throughout the Philippines. The trees grow wild in coastal areas and are also planted. They suit dry areas because of high drought tolerance. It is part of the coastal vegetation behind the beach. They can grow on sand and have salt tolerance. Seeds can float easily in salt water. Trees can grow up to about 1500 m altitude in the tropics. They are usually in areas with temperatures between 20-35°C and rainfall of 250-4000 mm per year. Trees cannot stand frost. They can grow in a very wide range of soils. It grows 19° N and S of the equator. At MARDI.

The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable or pot herb. They are also blanched and eaten raw. The ripe fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It is often eaten with salt. Green fruit are curried. The ripe fruit are made into a drink with sugar and syrup. It is also used in marinades, sauces and dressings. The seeds of some forms are roasted and eaten. (Red, yellow and brown non edible dyes are obtained from the root.)

Trees are grown from seeds. Seeds remain viable for at least 6 months. Seeds are planted in a nursery. They germinate in 3-9 weeks after sowing. Within 6 months trees grow to 1.5 m. Flowering and fruiting start in the third year. Trees last for up to 25 years. Trees can be grown from cuttings.