General Information

COMMON NAMES: Ceylon Gooseberry, Ketambilla, Kitembilla TRADITIONAL NAMES: Venevene (RR) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Sri Lanka COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food (Fruit 0+); Injurous spines - moderate KEY FEATURES: Shrub/small tree to 5m, with spines mainly on basal branches. LEAVES alternate, simple, semi-gloss green, oval, tip sharp to obtuse, to 12x6cm; veins grooved above, protruding below, lateral veins tending longitudinal; leaf-stalk ~1cm, ±basal spine to 2cm. FLOWERS each plant unisexual (=dioecious); small, without petals, green. FRUIT ~globose, 25mmØ, maroon-purple, velvety; sepals and stigma persistent; flesh purple, sweet, fibrous; SEEDS numerous, flattened, 10x5x2mm.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: -
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	++	-	-	-		-		-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Dovyalis hebecarpa (G.Gardn.)
SYNONYMS: Aberia gardneri; Doryalis hebecarpa [of authors]; Roumea hebecarpa

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); DILLENIIDAE; Violales; FLACOURTIACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Food (Fruit 0+). Comments: Formerly used to make jam (on Rarotonga).
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Injurous spines - moderate

GENERAL NOTE: The ripe fruit can be eaten, but is mainly used to make jams and curries.

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: field ID, Takuvaine Valley roadside, B.Sykes, 8/2000.

References:
p.595 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.380 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.456 Tropica
p.2/640 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.76 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM03b, zD02

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