Common Name:

General Information

Sageretia thea is a spiny, deciduous or partly evergreen shrub or small tree growing to about 3 metres tall[, , ].
The leaves are gathered from the wild for local use as a tea and also have potential use as a medicine. There are conflicting reports on the edibility of the fruits. The plant is occasionally cultivated for its leaves in India and southern China[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northeast Africa - Ethiopia, through the Arabian Peninsula, Turkey, Iran, Indian subcontinent, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines.

Habitat

Mountain forests, thickets, hills; at elevations below 2,100 metres in southern China[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Found in the warm temperate to tropical zones, usually at higher elevations up to 2,100 metres.

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a tea[]. They are often mixed with the leaves of Cleistocalyx operculatus[, ].

Fruit - raw[]. A sweet flavour, it is extensively eaten[].The fleshy fruit has a sour flavour[]. The black or purple-black fruit is subglobose to obovoid, about 5mm in diameter., with 1 - 3 hard seeds[].

Medicinal

The leaves and stems contain various medicinally active compounds that have cytotoxic properties and are of potential use in the treatment of cancer[].
The leaves and stems have also been shown to have antioxidant activity[].

Other Uses

The wood is very hard, white with irregular, dark-coloured heartwood[].

Propagation

Seed -