General Information

COMMON NAMES: Malay Apple, Mountain Apple, Rose Apple; German Apfel-Jambuse TRADITIONAL NAMES: Ka‘ika Māori (RR MG), Kaika Makatea (AT), Ka‘ika Tavake (MK), Ka‘ika Tavake / Ka‘ika ‘Enua (MT), Ka‘ika (AK) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE se.Asia - Malesia - ?Solomons COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Polynesian, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands - mountains (+) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Food (Fruit 2+)

Cook Islands Distribution

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

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

Syzygium malaccensis Linnaeus
SYNONYMS: Eugenia malaccensis [O]; Jambosa malaccensis

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Myrtales; MYRTACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -. Comment: NBSAP - Mauke (8 of 8 wild plants)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Food (Fruit 2+)

GENERAL NOTE: Fiji has 28 indigenous (including 20 endemic) Syzygium, and A.C.Smith (Flora Vitiensis Nova) concludes that Syzygium malaccensis is probably an aboriginal introduciton although it is "so firmly established as to seem indigenous". Considered to be an Aboriginal Introduction to Fiji and eastward. Fruit eaten and used in medicines. Crushed leaves used to treat thrush (kea). (AW90).

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.975 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.636 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.1092 Hortus 3rd
p.1136 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.460 Tropica
p.3/352 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.279 A Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.81 I Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.364a Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

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

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