| Etymology | Genus | After Etienne de Flacourt, 17th century director of the French East India Company |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Not spiny | |
| Family | Salicaceae | |
| Synonyms | Flacourtia quintuplinervis Turcz. | |
| Common Names | Batoko Plum, Lovi Lovi , Plum of Martinique, Lobi Lobi | |
| Status | Exotic: Cultivated Only | |
| Form | Tree | |
| Native Distribution | Indonesia | |
Diagnostics:
Flacourtia inermis is a cultivated tree that bears young red flushing leaves. The leaves have a messy alternative arrangement, with the upper surface glossy and having bluntly serrated margins. It flowers and fruits, with its bright red fruits together with their persistent styles, being quite unmistakable in identification.
A similar species, Flacourtia rukam can be easily differentiated with the latter having spines on its trunk.
Interesting Facts:
Besides planted for its attractive foliage and fruits, the Lovi Lovi is also planted as a larvae host plant for the Leopard and Rustic Butterflies. The fruits are edible, and can be eaten raw but are often acid or sour. However, they are excellent for making jams, syrup and preserves (Jansen et al., 2016).
A cultivated stand in Punggol Park
Young red leaves.
Untidy leaf arrangement.
Leaf.
Male flowers.
Fruits.
Fruits showing persistent styles.
Trunk.
References
Jansen PCM, Jukema J, Oyen LPA, van Lingen TG (2016) Enhalus acoroides (PROSEA). Plant Resources of South East Asia. https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Category:PROSEA. Accessed on 9-Dec-2018.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2018-12-13