Hill-gooseberry
StarRhodomyrtus tomentosa
Synonyms: Myrtus tomentosa, Cynomyrtus tomentosa
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Chinese and Vietnamese folk medicine the plant (known in Chinese as gang nian) is valued for its astringent action: decoctions of the leaves and roots are taken for diarrhoea, dysentery and stomach complaints, and applied to wounds, while the ripe fruit is eaten and used in a tonic wine. These uses are East and Southeast Asian; no North American indigenous medicinal use is documented.
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Botanical Description
Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, the hill gooseberry or downy rose myrtle, is an evergreen shrub in the family Myrtaceae, native to southern and southeastern Asia from India and southern China through Indochina to Malesia and the Philippines, where it grows on hillsides, open scrub, heathland, pine forest margins and coastal sands. It reaches 1 to 4 metres in height with greyish, densely tomentose young branchlets. The opposite, leathery leaves are elliptic to obovate, 4 to 7 centimetres long, glossy dark green above and conspicuously grey-felted beneath, with three prominent longitudinal veins. The showy flowers, borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils, are 2.5 to 4 centimetres across with five rounded, pink to rose-purple petals, paler within, surrounding numerous purplish stamens. The fruit is a fleshy, ovoid purplish-black berry about 1 to 1.5 centimetres long, crowned by the persistent calyx lobes, sweet and edible when ripe. The species is an aggressive invasive in parts of Florida and Hawaii.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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