Rukam (Flacourtia rukam)

Rukam or rukem (Flacourtia rukam) is a species of plant in the Salicaceae, a tree with a height of up to 15 meters, cylindrical stem, sometimes having thorns, the hard wood, bark is light brown, the fruit is round, fleshy and has a sour or astringent taste.

F. rukam has red to brown young leaves and dark green old leaves. Mature leaves are slightly oval in shape with a serrated edge, up to 31 cm long, up to 14 cm wide and with a conical tip.

Male flowers and female flowers are yellow-green and grow in the leaf axils. The fruit is round, up to 3 cm and yellow or green or red or purple, has whitish flesh, contains a lot of water and has a sweet-sour taste.

The fruit is eaten directly or processed into jam, jelly and sweets. Rukam fruit can also be used as an addition to salads and side dishes. Young fruit contains tannins which are used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. The juice of the leaves is used to treat eye irritation. The root is consumed by women after giving birth. Strong and hard wood for household utensils and furniture.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Salicaceae
Genus: Flacourtia
Species: Flacourtia rukam
Subspesies: Flacourtia rukam ssp. myriantha

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