| Syzygium jambos | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Syzygium |
| Species: | S. jambos |
| Binomial name | |
| Syzygium jambos L. (Alston) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Eugenia jambos |
|
The fruit tree Syzygium jambos has several common names, including Malabar Plum, champakka, chom pu or chom-phu. Terms like "plum rose", "rose apple", "water apple", "Malay apple", "jambrosade",and "pomarrosa" can also refer to many other species of Syzygium, while "jambu" can also mean a guava. The name Jambu being used for this fruit is in all likelihood limited to one or two languages of the twenty odd major ones prevalent in India, while most other languages use similar word (Jaamun, JaambhooL, etc.) for another fruit very popular, dark purple (like eggplant) in colour and smaller than the rose apple. In Karnataka rose apple is found quite in plenty, and the name for it is PanneraLe, while the name for the other one is NeraLe.
The edible fruit is shaped like a small pear. The plant is native to Southeast Asia but is naturalized in India, especially the state of Kerala. It has also been introduced across the Americas where it now grows in wild thickets. Specimens have been planted on nearly every continent.
The tree has long, glossy green leaves and white or greenish flowers. There are several varieties, including the one most common in Thailand bearing a pale green fruit, and Malaysian varieties with red skin. It is often some shade of dull yellow. The skin is thin and waxy, and the hollow core contains a small amount of inedible fluff. The flesh is crisp and watery, and tastes like a cross between nashi and bell pepper, with a very mild rose scent and a slightly bitter aftertaste. In South-East Asian countries, the fruit is frequently served with spiced sugar.
In ancient Sanskrit, the land now called India was referred to by the ancient Indians themselves as Jambudvipa, which is one of the ancient names of India (another being Bhaarata, amongst many others) and for a cursory glance could be mistakenly interpreted as Roseappleland (jambu = rose apple; dvipa = land). This however might be incorrect, as a slight familiarity with some of the epics would show - Jaambuvanta for example was an ancient king who helped Raama in his fight for justice against kidnapping of his wife, and one of the wives of Krshna was daughter of (perhaps another) king Jaambuvanta; the said king, Jaambuvanta represents an evolutionary rung and resemblance to a giant bear. Needless to say his name has nothing to do with this fruit, rose apple, as far as anyone knows - the rose apple is not that well known in north as it would be if this were the case.
This plant can be quite invasive in areas where it has been introduced. It is a threat to several ecosystems, including those on several Hawaiian islands, Réunion, and the Galápagos Islands, and in parts of Australia and Central America.