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Aratilis, Jamaican cherry
Muntingia calabura
15.813, 120.443
Field Notes
Description:
It is a small tree 7-12 meters tall with tiered and slightly drooping branches. It has serrated leaves 2.5-15 cm long and 1-6.5 cm wide. The flowers are small ,white and slightly malodorous. It gives rise to 1-1.5 cm light red fruit. The fruit is edible, sweet and juicy, and contains a large number of tiny (0.5 mm) yellow seeds.
Habitat:
It is a pioneer species that thrives in poor soil, able to tolerate acidic and alkaline conditions and drought. Its seeds are dispersed by birds and fruit bats. It is cultivated for its edible fruit, and has become naturalised in some other parts of the tropics, including southeastern Asia. As a pioneer plant, it could help condition the soil and make it habitable to other plants. However, it might also be considered as an invasive species since it might out-compete indigenous plants.
Notes:
Spotted during a relief operation in Barangay Bical Sur, Bayambang, Pangasinan. The place was dry and it showed in the condition of the tree. Also, I could not find any ripe fruit as it is apparently a favorite hangout of the local children.
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