Morinda citrifolia

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The multiple fruit of the Indian Mulberry

The Indian Mulberry, also known scientifically as Morinda citrifolia is a valuable tree because almost all of it parts – leaves, fruits, barks and roots, are useful as a source of food, medicine and dyes. The young leaves are eaten as vegetables in Thailand and Indonesia. The fruit is also edible, but it is unpopular partly due to its unpleasant smell and mainly eaten during famine. Before the advent of modern dyes, the roots and barks were important source of dyes particularly for batik production in Java. 

The flowering head of the Indian Mulberry contains many flowers.

In traditional medicine, Morinda citrifolia has been used to treat a wide array of diseases and conditions that affect the digestive and respiratory system, as well as healing skin problems and wounds. In recent times, studies have shown that the seeds of Morinda citrifolia contain linoleic acid, a type of fatty acid which provides many health benefits including reducing body fat and acne, in addition to lowering the risk of cancer and diabetes, among others.

The whitish, ripe fruit of the Indian Mulberry is many seeded.

Morinda citrifolia is widely distributed in the tropics, ranging from its natural habitat in Southeast Asia to India and Hawaii. Locally it is known by different names such as mengkudu and nhau. This evergreen plant of the coffee family (Rubiaceae) grows up to 20 feet tall. It has large and rather thick, oppositely arranged leaves. The flowers are white and tubular with five petals and are held on rounded heads. They are frequently visited by ants, wasps and sunbirds. Upon fertilization, the whole inflorescent will develop into a multiple fruit, initially green before ripening white.

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