Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng.

Unarmed shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate; leaflets alter-nate or subopposite. Inflorescences axillary or terminal panicles or cymes, or the flowers solitary. Flowers (4-) 5-merous; sepals (4-) 5, ovate or lanceolate, con-nate basally; petals (4-)5, lanceolate to spatulate or linear, imbricate or valvate; stamens (8-)10, elongate, the filaments sometimes flattened, free, inserted on the disc, the anthers small, broadly elliptic or oval; disc annular, cushion shaped or cylindrical; ovary syncarpous, ovoid, 2-5-loculed, the ovules (1-)2 per locule, superposed or almost collateral, the style elongate, slender, finally deciduous, the stigma capitate. Fruit a small ovoid or subglobose berry, the pulp mu-cilaginous; seeds 1-several, the testa thin, the cotyledons plano-convex.

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It is native to tropical Asia. It grows in clumps in secondary growth and undergrowth in sunny places. It can grow in temperatures between 12°C and 42°C. In Nepal it grows to about 1400 m altitude. In the Himalayas it grows between 800-1,450 m above sea level. It grows in open, dry places. They will not tolerate heavy frosts. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. At MARDI.

The leaves are used to flavour soup and curry dishes. They are also used in chutneys and stews. They are first fried in ghee or oil until crisp, then added to the curry. The leaves are also dried and powdered and used in spice blends. Ripe fruit are eaten fresh. They are peppery. They are used as a spice. Leaves can be sun-dried and stored.

Plants are grown from seeds or stem cuttings or root suckers. A spacing of 3.5 m is used.