Little gooseberry tree facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Little gooseberry tree
Scientific classification
Genus:	Buchanania
Species:	arborescens
Synonyms
List Buchanania attopeuensis (Pierre) Tardieu Buchanania bancana Miq. Buchanania glaberrima Ridl. Buchanania intermedia Wight Buchanania longifolia Blume Buchanania longifolia Span. Buchanania lucida Blume Buchanania monticola Kaneh. & Hatus. Buchanania muelleri Engl. Buchanania nabirensis Kaneh. & Hatus. Buchanania novohibernica Lauterb. Buchanania palembanica Blume Buchanania papuana C.T.White Buchanania petiolaris Miq. Buchanania platyphylla Merr. Buchanania polybotrya Miq. Buchanania pseudoflorida G.Perkins Buchanania scandens Lauterb. Buchanania solomonensis Merr. & L.M.Perry Buchanania subobovata Griff. Buchanania versteeghii Merr. & L.M.Perry Coniogeton arborescens Blume

The little gooseberry tree (Buchanania arborescens) is also known as sparrow's mango. This small, slender tree grows naturally in seasonal tropical forests. You can find it in northern Australia, parts of south-east Asia, and the Solomon Islands.

What It Looks Like

The leaves of the little gooseberry tree are arranged in a spiral. They are smooth and feel leathery. Each leaf is long and oval-shaped, measuring about 5 to 26 centimeters.

Its flowers are very tiny. They are usually cream or yellowish-white in color. The tree's fruit is round and small, about 1 centimeter long. When ripe, the fruit turns reddish to purple-black. Many birds, like the Torresian imperial pigeon, enjoy eating these fruits.

How It Was Discovered

A botanist named Carl Ludwig Blume first officially described this tree in 1826. He studied plant samples from Java. At first, he called it Coniogeton arborescens. Later, in 1850, Blume moved the species to a different group, the Buchanania genus.

Where It Grows

In Australia, the little gooseberry tree grows across the northern parts of the continent. You can find it in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. In Queensland, it grows along the east coast, reaching as far south as Hinchinbrook Island.

Uses of the Tree

Aboriginal people have eaten the fruit of the little gooseberry tree for a long time. They often eat the fruit raw. This plant is also used as a traditional medicine in both Australia and Malaysia.

An old book from 1889, called 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia', talks about the fruit. It says that unripe fruits were boiled. This made the water taste pleasantly sour. When the fruits were ripe, they became sweet and soft, much like gooseberries. This is why the tree was given the name 'little gooseberry tree'.