Batoko Plum plant (Flacourtia inermis)
The Batoko Plum (also known as ramontchi, governor’s plum, or Indian plum) shrub or small tree has a spiny trunk and dark green, alternate, simple, oval leaves attached to drooping branches. The shrub can grow up to 25 feet high. Its fruits are bright red and contain six or more seeds.
Where to find the Batoko Plum plant in the wild
This plant is a native of the Philippines but is widely cultivated for its fruit in other areas. It can be found in clearings and at the edges of the tropical rain
forests of Africa and Asia.
Edible parts of the Batoko Plum plant
Eat the fruit raw or cooked. The fruit is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layers. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tangy taste. It can be fermented to make wine. The bark, leaves and roots are used in herbal medicine (arthritis, cough, bacterial throat infection, and diarrhea) and as a treatment for snakebites. The wood also serves well for wooden tool handles.