Antidesma acidum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Antidesma acidum
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Phyllanthaceae
Genus:	Antidesma
Species:	A. acidum
Binomial name
Antidesma acidum Retz.
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Synonyms
Antidesma diandrum (Roxb.) B.Heyne ex Roth Antidesma lanceolarium (Roxb.) Steud. Antidesma parviflorum Ham. ex Pax & K.Hoffm. Antidesma sylvestre Wall. Antidesma wallichianum C.Presl Stilago diandra Roxb. Stilago lanceolaria Roxb.

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Antidesma acidum is a type of shrub or small tree. It grows naturally in a large area from Java in Indonesia, all the way to south-central China and Pakistan. This plant lives for a long time and likes to grow in shady places, often under taller trees.

People in many places eat its fruit, and in some areas, they also eat its leaves. For example, in Luang Prabang, Laos, the leaves are sold with Russula mushrooms. They are used to make a tasty, sour soup with the mushrooms.

What Does Antidesma acidum Look Like?

This plant usually grows as a shrub or a small tree, reaching about 6 meters (20 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can grow up to 10 meters (33 feet). Its young branches have soft, fine hairs.

The leaves are thin like paper and have a dull color. They are usually 5 to 10 centimeters (2-4 inches) long. The top side of the leaf is smooth, while the bottom side often has soft hairs.

The plant produces small, oval-shaped fruits called drupes. These fruits are smooth and measure about 4-6 millimeters (0.16-0.24 inches) long. In China, the flowers appear from May to July, and the fruits ripen from June to November.

You can tell this plant apart from others by its dull, papery leaves and their size. It also has tiny pockets on its leaves called domatia. The male flowers have a fuzzy center, and they usually have two (sometimes one or three) stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. The size of the fruit is also a helpful clue.

Branches with ripening fruit

Young buds and leaves

The underside of the leaves

A close-up view of buds and leaves

Ripe fruit

Where Does Antidesma acidum Grow?

This plant is native to tropical and subtropical parts of Asia. Its natural home stretches from Java in Indonesia, across Southeast Asia, to south-central China, Pakistan, and the Western Himalaya region.

You can find Antidesma acidum in many countries and regions, including:

• Indonesia (Java)
• Thailand
• Cambodia
• Vietnam
• China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan)
• Laos
• Myanmar
• India (including Nicobar Islands, Andaman Islands, Assam)
• Eastern Himalaya
• Bangladesh
• Nepal
• Western Himalaya
• Pakistan

Where Does Antidesma acidum Live?

Antidesma acidum grows in different types of forests. For example, in Doi Inthanon National Park in northern Thailand, it lives in both dry dipterocarp forests and mixed deciduous forests. These forests are found at different heights, from about 400 to 1000 meters (1,300-3,300 feet) above sea level.

In some areas, like the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in western Thailand, this plant grows under the shade of other trees. This region often has fires every year or every other year. In these areas, Antidesma acidum loses its leaves during the dry season.

In Southeast Asia, this shrub often grows in forests that are regrowing after being disturbed, known as secondary forests. In China, it grows in open forests between 100 and 1500 meters (330-4,900 feet) high. In the Himalayan foothills, it grows up to 600 meters (2,000 feet) high.

In India, a tiny insect called a Whitefly sometimes lives on this plant.

Is Antidesma acidum Endangered?

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at Antidesma acidum and decided it is of "Least Concern" for conservation. This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.

It grows over a very wide area and doesn't face big threats right now. However, there are still some concerns. The plant's populations are spread out and separated, and the number of mature plants is slowly going down. Also, the places where it lives are shrinking and getting worse because of human activities. So, while it's "Least Concern," it still needs some attention.

Other Names for Antidesma acidum

This plant has many different names depending on the language and region. Here are a few:

How People Use Antidesma acidum

This plant is used in many ways by local communities.

In Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, people use the root of this plant in traditional medicine. They boil the root in water and drink it to help treat fevers.

Further north in Thailand, in the Bueng Khong Long area, people gather and eat the ripe wild fruits. They collect these fruits from March to September.

In Cambodia, people eat the juicy fruit. They also make a special drink from the root for new mothers, which is believed to be a tonic. The Bunong people in Cambodia collect the wild fruits daily for food. They also sometimes use the plant in their traditional medicine to treat coughs.

Farmers in Phongsaly Province, northern Laos, grow "medical cardamom" plants. They found that Antidesma acidum is helpful because it grows into a long-lived plant that provides shade for the cardamom.

At open-air markets in Luang Prabang, Laos, the leaves of this plant are sold with Russula mushrooms. People use them to add a sour taste to traditional mushroom soup. The fruit is also sold, both unripe (sour) and ripe (sweet).

In Champasak Province, southern Laos, Antidesma acidum trees are often found growing in rice fields. They provide both fruit and traditional medicine.

The Boro people in Assam, India, enjoy the mildly sour leaves of this plant. They often cook the leaves with fish or meat to make curries.

In the Thoubal district of Manipur, India, some communities use this plant in their traditional medicine to help treat diabetes.

In the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India, children often eat the ripe fruit of the wild plant.

In Odisha, southern India, rural people gather the young, tender leaves of Antidesma acidum. They eat them as vegetables, either fried or boiled with salt, and serve them with rice.

The Tharu people living near Dudhwa National Park in northern India also eat the ripe fruit.

This plant is also known as an agricultural species in Nepal, meaning it is grown or used in farming there.

History of Antidesma acidum

The plant Antidesma acidum was first officially named in 1788. It was named by a Swedish scientist named Anders Jahan Retzius (1742-1821). He was a chemist, botanist (someone who studies plants), and entomologist (someone who studies insects). Retzius was a very influential teacher and inspired many scientists, including members of his own family and his students. He published the description of this plant in his book called Observationes Botanicae.