Buchanania arborescens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Anacardiaceae
Genus: Buchanania
Species:
B. arborescens
Binomial name
Buchanania arborescens
(Blume) Blume[2]
Synonyms
List
    • Buchanania attopeuensis (Pierre) Tardieu
    • Buchanania bancana Miq.
    • Buchanania glaberrima Ridl.
    • Buchanania intermedia Wight
    • Buchanania longifolia Blume
    • Buchanania longifolia Span.
    • Buchanania lucida Blume
    • Buchanania monticola Kaneh. & Hatus.
    • Buchanania muelleri Engl.
    • Buchanania nabirensis Kaneh. & Hatus.
    • Buchanania novohibernica Lauterb.
    • Buchanania palembanica Blume
    • Buchanania papuana C.T.White
    • Buchanania petiolaris Miq.
    • Buchanania platyphylla Merr.
    • Buchanania polybotrya Miq.
    • Buchanania pseudoflorida G.Perkins
    • Buchanania scandens Lauterb.
    • Buchanania solomonensis Merr. & L.M.Perry
    • Buchanania subobovata Griff.
    • Buchanania versteeghii Merr. & L.M.Perry
    • Coniogeton arborescens Blume

Buchanania arborescens, commonly known as the little gooseberry tree[3] or sparrow's mango,[1] is a small and slender tree native to seasonal tropical forests of northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Solomon Islands.

The leaves are spirally arranged, smooth, leathery, elongated oblong, 5–26 cm long. The flowers are very small cream to yellowish white. The edible fruit are globular, small (1 cm long), reddish to purple-black. Torresian imperial pigeons and other birds eat these.[3]

The species was formally described in 1826 by botanist Carl Ludwig Blume based on plant specimens collected from Java. Initially naming it Coniogeton arborescens, Blume transferred the species to the genus Buchanania in 1850.[4]

In Australia the species occurs naturally across the northern extremities of the continent from Western Australia and across the Northern Territory to Queensland where it extends down the east coast as far south as Hinchinbrook Island.[3][5]

Uses

Aboriginal people eat the fruit raw. The plant is also used as a traditional medicine in Australia and Malaysia.[6] The 1889 book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia' records that "The unripe fruits of this plant were gathered, and, when boiled, imparted an agreeable acidity to the water, and when thus prepared, tasted tolerably well. When ripe, they become sweet and pulpy, like gooseberries, although their rind is not very thick. This resemblance induced us to call the tree 'the little gooseberry'tree" quoted from Leichhardt: Overland journey to Port Essington, p. 479.[7]

In culture

The tree is called balingasay in Tagalog, and in pre-colonial times were regarded as domains (dambana) of Lakan Balingasay, the anito of the tree and probably of insects (due to comparisons with Beelzebub in accounts by friars).

References

  1. 1 2 Ganesan, S. (2021). "Buchanania arborescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T61983514A61983516. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Buchanania arborescens (Blume) Blume". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Buchanania arborescens". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "Buchanania arborescens (Blume) Blume". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
  5. ↑ "Buchanania arborescens (Blume) Blume". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. ↑ Brock, J., Top End Native Plants, 1988. ISBN 0-7316-0859-3
  7. ↑ J. H. Maiden (1889). The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania. Turner and Henderson, Sydney.
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