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Carissa macrocarpa

(Eckl.) A.DC. (1844)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Apocynaceae Genus: Carissa

Carissa, Natal plum

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees to 5 m tall.

Stems: Spines 1- or 2-forked, 2–4 cm, strong. Branches dichotomous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades broadly ovate, 2.5–7.5 X 2–5 cm. Apex mucronate. Base rounded to obtuse. Blades thick leathery, glabrous. Margins entire. Lateral veins obscure. Petioles 2–3 mm. Stipules absent or vestigial.

Flowers: Flowers in cymes terminal, (1–)3–flowered. pedicel 2–3 mm. Flowers 5– [or 4]-merous, bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic, fragrant. Calyx of 5 sepals; sepals very narrowly ovate, 3–6 mm. Corolla of 5 petals salverform, tube cylindric, dilated at staminal insertion, white or pink, tube 1.1–1.8 cm, pubescent inside; lobes oblong, 0.9–2.4 cm, overlapping to left. Stamens 5, included in throat; anthers lanceolate, base not appendaged; disc absent. Ovary superior; ovules numerous, biseriate; styles filiform; apex of pistil head shortly 2-cleft.

Fruit: Berries bright red to violet; ovoid; 2–5 cm; ca. 16–seeded. Seeds peltate; endosperm fleshy; cotyledons ovate; radicle inferior.

Ploidy: 2n = 66

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Only found in cultivation
Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 8: 336 (1844)

Other References

Staples & Herbst 2005:116 (KEY), 119 (DESCR); Lau & Frohlich 2012:7 (NEWNAT/O, DESCR); Brock et al. 2023:145 (K [adventive, Māhā‘ulepū Trail, 2017]); Oppenheimer & Pezzillo 2024:55 (WM)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Carissa macrocarpa Laie Scattered. Preserved_Specimen Thorny ornamental; flowers white, fruit red. Kamae, K.K. 36 Oahu BISH 1967-05-03
2 Carissa macrocarpa West Maui, Lahaina District, Honokahua, coastal zone around Hawea Point Escaping and sparingly naturalized in Scaevola Coastal Shrubland and adjacent waste areas. Preserved_Specimen Commonly cultivated nearby as a hedge, Leaves dark green; flowers white; fruit bright red, globose. Oppenheimer, H.L. 32301 Maui BISH 2023-03-05
3 Carissa macrocarpa Hale Alaa Road, Laie Cultivated area, Iris/Naupaka/sweet pea. Preserved_Specimen Large shrub 6-20' high; dark green leaves; flowers white, fragrant. Brandow, C.T. 7 Oahu BISH 1967-02-25
4 Carissa macrocarpa BYU-Hawaii campus, Laie Common. Preserved_Specimen Ornamental shrub to 10' high; dense green leaves, fragrant single white flowers. Afualo, D. 89 Oahu BISH 1975-03-17
5 Carissa macrocarpa Koloa, Poipu, Pee Road across from jct. with Hoohu Road hedge along sidewalk Preserved_Specimen 4' shrub; leaves dark matte green above, matte pale green below; corolla tube and throat pale green, lobes 5, white, fragrant, 10 am; fruit pale glaucous green ripening pinkish red with glaucous bloom; seeds to 26; sap milky; fruit sweet tart flavor Flynn, T.W. 7167 Kauai BISH 2004-12-01
6 Carissa macrocarpa Laie Few. Preserved_Specimen Trees, white flowers. Leaves opposite, fragrant flower. Hai, N. 55 Oahu BISH 1975-04-05
7 Carissa macrocarpa Library Bldg., Honolulu Street. Preserved_Specimen Flower white, fragrant; fruit purple, edible. Brown, E.D.W. 1461 Oahu BISH 1927-05-07
8 Carissa macrocarpa University of Hawaii campus, Honolulu. Parking lot at rim of Quarry Hedge. Preserved_Specimen Dense shrub w/glossy coriaceous, deep-green foliage, milky sap, fragrant flowers, and fleshy red fruit w/milky sap. Herbst, D.R. 545 Oahu BISH 1967-08-26
9 Carissa macrocarpa Marine Corps Base Hawaii Dry coastal zone habitat. Preserved_Specimen 4 ft. tall sprawling sapling in dense Leucaena overstory. No flowers or fruit seen. One individual. OED 2009080502 Oahu BISH 2009-08-05
10 Carissa macrocarpa Roundtop Drive, Honolulu Planted as hedge. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 10789 Oahu BISH 1931-02-27
11 Carissa macrocarpa West Maui, Lahaina District, Honokahua, coastal zone around Hawea Point Commonly cultivated nearby as a hedge, escaping and sparingly naturalized in Scaevola Coastal Shrubland and adjacent waste areas. Preserved_Specimen Leaves dark green; flowers white; fruit bright red. Oppenheimer, H.L. 32301 Maui BISH 2023-03-05
12 Carissa macrocarpa Kulanui St., Laie Moderately common as hedge. Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 6' tall; thorny; flowers white, fragrant; fruits 2 red, edible. Afualo, D. 118 Oahu BISH 1975-03-25
13 Carissa macrocarpa Tantalus Dr., vicinity of the first switchback of the 2nd group of switchbacks Shady roadside. Like planted, but layering and spreading at least asexually Preserved_Specimen Dozens along road Faccenda, K. 1850 Oahu BISH 2021-05-22
14 Carissa macrocarpa Lihue District. Mahaulepu trail next to Poipu Bay Golf Course. Small, adventive population growing in coastal area; its not clear wheter these non-cultivated plants originated from seeds or cuttings tossed away from adjacent golf course. Growing with Scaevola taccada, Casuarina equisetifolia, Pluchea indica, Sesuvium portulacastyrum Preserved_Specimen Shrub about 0.75 meter tall, with an apparent creeping habit owing to layering to produce new vegetative growth; spines branched and bendable when young; leaves dark green, shiny; flowers white, fragrant, fruit bright red. Brock, K. 1064 Kauai BISH 2017-07-06
15 Carissa macrocarpa Ewa Beach Preserved_Specimen Thorny ornamental; flowers white, fruit red; paired, pointed-oval, to heart-shaped leaves are 1 to 3 long. White, stalked flowers. Gilmore, M.A. 10024 Oahu BISH 1977-03-28
16 Carissa macrocarpa Koloa District, Lawai Valley, National Tropical Botanical Garden; Pump 6 area Preserved_Specimen Shrub of 7'. Leaves dark semi=glossy green above w/whitish-green petiole, below pale green. Corolla white, very fragrant. Flynn, T.W. 3297 Kauai BISH 1989-03-28
17 Carissa macrocarpa Quarantine Island Preserved_Specimen Shrub ±2m high. Flower white. Fruit red, ellipsoidal. Fruit edible. Ball, S.C. 24 Oahu BISH 1925-08-15
18 Carissa macrocarpa BYU-Hawaii campus, Laie Preserved_Specimen Large shrub 6-20' high; dark green leaves; flowers white, fragrant. Weber, L. Oahu BISH 1977-04-04
19 Carissa macrocarpa Roundtop Drive, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Shrub 4 m tall; flws white, fragrant, fruit vermillion, sweetish. Fosberg, F.R. 12224 Oahu BISH 1935-07-13
20 Carissa macrocarpa Kamehameha Girls' School, Kapalama Hts Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1932-06-06
21 Carissa macrocarpa La Pietra, Kapiolani area, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Forbes, A. 28 Oahu BISH 1929-08-09
22 Carissa macrocarpa Library of Hawaii grounds Preserved_Specimen Octavio, A.M. Oahu BISH 1929-11-26
23 Carissa macrocarpa Honolulu, Kamehameha Girl's School Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1937-09-25
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