Syzygium cordatum

Syzygium cordatum

The Water Berry (Syzygium cordatum Hochst. ex Krauss, 1844) is an arboreal species belonging to the Myrtaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Subkingdom Tracheobionta,
Spermatophyta Superdivision,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Subclass Rosidae,
Order Myrtales,
Myrtaceae family,
Subfamily Myrtoideae,
Syzygieae tribe,
Genus Syzygium,
Species S. cordatum.

Etymology –
The term Syzygium comes from the Greek σύζῠγος sýzygos paired, united, paired: in reference to paired leaves or united petals in some species.
The specific epithet cordatum comes from the Latin: cor, cordis, heart, that is, heart-shaped, heart-shaped, in reference to the shape of the base of the leaf.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Syzygium cordatum is a plant native to southern tropical Africa and present from Congo to Kenya, from the south to Angola, Mozambique and South Africa.
In particular, it grows along the banks of rivers from KwaZulu-Natal northwards to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Its natural habitat is that of the edges of forest regions, in open forests or sometimes in wooded prairies and plateaus. It is common near fresh water or streams. It is also present in the plains and forests of medium-high latitudes, along the banks of streams and in river scrublands, sometimes even at high altitudes (up to 1,200 metres).

Description –
Syzygium cordatum is an evergreen tree, which can grow to a height of 8-15 m and with a dense, widespread and rounded crown.
The trunk is rarely straight, often knotted and branched from below, it can reach a diameter of 60 cm and is sometimes reinforced; the bark is dark brown, wrinkled and cracked in old specimens.
The young branches have a quadrangular section.
The leaves are found mainly in the terminal part of the branches; they are opposite, almost sessile with an elliptical to circular shape, 3-12 cm long and 2-7 cm wide, leathery; the color is shiny bluish green above, pale green below; the young shoots are bright red.
The flowers are hermaphroditic and grouped in terminal inflorescences; the flowers are on a short peduncle, fragrant, white, yellowish or pink in colour, with petals united to form a sort of hood, which falls when they open, and stamens 1-1.5 cm long, which are the more showy than the flower.
The fruit is an oval or urn-shaped berry, 1.8 x 1 cm, red to dark purple in color when ripe.
Inside the fruit there is generally only one whitish seed.

Cultivation –
Syzygium cordatum is an evergreen tree whose edible fruits are harvested from the wild for local use. The plant is also sometimes grown for its fruit and is often grown as an ornamental plant, where it is appreciated for its white to pink, sweetly scented flowers.
It is a plant of subtropical and tropical regions, where it is found at altitudes up to 1,200 meters. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are between 15 and 25°C, but can tolerate 10-35°C.
The tree resists cold but not frost and prefers an average annual rainfall of between 750 and 1,200 mm, but tolerates 600 – 1,500 mm.
For its cultivation it prefers a sunny position and, from a pedological point of view, it grows in most soils and the plants can withstand long periods of water stagnation. Prefers a soil pH between 5.5 and 7, tolerating 5 – 7.5.
It is a fast-growing tree; in Malawi, trees 270 cm tall have been recorded within 27 months of seed.
The qualities of this plant are that it is fast growing and can be cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climate zones, where it can resist temperatures a few degrees below 0 °C for a short period. Of certainly ornamental value, due to its shiny foliage and abundant flowering, it is sometimes used as a shade tree or for border barriers; Furthermore, it also has notable fire resistance.
The plants are very fire resistant and are considered as indicators of areas suitable for growing sugarcane.
It generally reproduces by seed which has a very short germination period, it should therefore be planted in sandy loam kept humid as quickly as possible; germination occurs in about a month at a temperature of 20-22 °C.

Customs and Traditions –
Syzygium cordatum is a plant known by various common names, among these we include: umdoni, water-berry, watertree, waterwood (English), waterbessie (African), undoni, umSwi, umJoni and hute (Shona people), mzambarau ziwa, myamayu , mlati (Swahili), trâm mốc, trâm vối or vối rừng (Vietnamese), timuncho (Portuguese), also its English name “water berry” is also used for other Syzygium species.
This tree is known for its many uses. The fleshy fruit has a slightly acidic taste and is eaten by children, monkeys, infants, bats and birds. The berries are also sometimes used to make an alcoholic drink. The powdered bark is used as a fish poison. In Central Africa the tree is known as a remedy for stomach ache and diarrhea. It is also used to treat respiratory disorders and tuberculosis.
The fruits are edible, rather acidic, eaten fresh or used to prepare alcoholic drinks and jams. The flowers, rich in nectar, are pollinated by insects, in particular bees, and therefore have an important role in beekeeping. The fine-grained wood, medium hard and resistant, long-lasting in water and good workability, is used to make commonly used objects, tools, furniture, boats and in construction; it is also an excellent firewood and for producing charcoal.
All parts of the plant are variously used in traditional medicine.
Other uses include agroforestry ones; thanks to its ability to resist long periods of water stagnation, the plant can be used to stabilize the banks of rivers and streams.
From the bark you can get a blue dye or even an orange or reddish-brown dye.
A purple dye is obtained from the fruit.
The heartwood is light, reddish-brown to greyish; it is not clearly delimited by the sapwood. The fiber is generally straight, sometimes wavy or braided; the fine and uniform consistency. The wood is medium hard, moderately heavy, moderately strong and durable, especially in water, and is said to be termite resistant. Saws easily and works well with standard tools; pre-drilling is required for nailing; the shaping properties are good and the wood planes to a smooth surface, taking on a nice polish; glues satisfactorily.
Wood is used for good quality furniture, fixtures, floors, beams, joists, railway sleepers, mortars, tools, etc.
Being durable in the water, it is particularly suitable for boat building and is used to make piers and slipways.
It is also quite popular as a source of firewood and charcoal.
Also pieces of bark or powdered bark are used as fish poison to catch small fish in small ponds; these parts cause the water to turn bluish for up to 3 days.
From an ecological point of view, the plant is classified as “Least Concern” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2013).

Preparation Method –
Syzygium cordatum is a plant used for both food purposes. medicines that especially for its wood.
The fruit is consumed both raw and cooked; It has a pleasant and acidic flavour.
The fresh fruit, with a bitter taste, is eaten raw, transformed into jams and jellies, or used to prepare an alcoholic drink.
A good quality jelly can be cooked from the ripe fruit.
In the medical field it is reported that different parts of the plant are often used in traditional medicine. Some studies have been conducted on its medicinal properties.
Methanol and aqueous extracts of the bark showed in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans.
Leaf extracts showed hypoglycemic activity in vivo.
The bark and wood contain proanthocyanidins, pentacyclic triterpenoids, steroidal triterpenoids, ellagic acid and gallic acid.
The antidiarrheal properties of the bark could be due to the presence of phenolic compounds.
The roots and bark are boiled and the decoction is used as a remedy for coughs, indigestion and dizziness.
The bark is emetic; It is used in the treatment of diarrhea, stomach problems, headaches, amenorrhea, wounds and respiratory problems.
Decoctions of the root bark and stem bark are taken for the treatment of malaria.
A decoction of the roots is drunk as a cure for amenorrhea.
Ash from burnt wood is rubbed on the forehead to cure headaches.
The ground leaves, bark and roots are soaked in water and then applied externally as a poultice and galactagogue.
The leaves are purgative. An infusion is used as a treatment for cough, diarrhea and stomach upset.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://www.capriviflora.com/speciesdata/image-display.php?species_id=142310&image_id=29

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.