Overview
Small tree
or shrub
of Polynesian introduction to Hawaii, originally from SE Asia to Australia, now naturalized
in dry sites. The fruits were used as an insecticide
, as a poultice
, and in a medicinal drink.
Native
of Australasia, but widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere.
Interesting Facts
- The fruits can be dispersed by floating in the sea.
- Noni is a Hawaian name , where the fruits were also eaten (raw or cooked) as famine food. In the 1880s it was recorded as an Australian aboriginal food
- In India used to produce a dye of various shades of red called "al", obtained mostly from the roots . The bark and roots yield red and yellow pigments, respectively, used to dye tapa or kapa.
- The fruits have recently attracted interest as an apparently cure-all medicine. In the Caribbean region, the shiny green leaves were used by the Caribs as a poultice for wounds, rheumatic joints , fevers and headaches. The leaves were applied directly to the afflicted area to relieve pain. Polynesians called the plant "noni" and used the ripe fruit as a poultice. The mashed fruit was applied directly to the afflicted area, including deep cuts and broken bones. A medicinal drink was also made from the fruits and used as a remedy for tuberculosis. Noni fruits and tonic can reportedly cure a variety of ailments ranging from arthritis, rheumatism, sores, boils , and even eliminate head lice . To this day, noni is considered a cure-all and is widely used by Polynesians.
Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in Bengali:
Ach, Al, Bartundi, Hurdi, Surangi
Common Names in Burmese:
Mhanbin, Neihpahsae, Yaiyae
Common Names in Chinese:
Hai Ba Ji, Luo Ling (Singapore, Taiwan), Wu Ning (Singapore)
Common Names in Dutch:
Kaasvrucht, Noni, Stinkend Kaasvrucht
Common Names in English:
Awl Tree, Beach Mulberry, Canary Wood (Australia), Cheese Fruit, Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, Indian-Mulberry, Large-Leaved Morinda, Noni, Noni (Hawaii), Noni Fruit, Noni Plant, Nonu (Samoa), Pain Killer Tree (Caribbean), Rotten Cheesefruit, Rotten Cheesefruit (Aust)
Common Names in French:
Bois Douleur, Nono (Tahiti)
Common Names in German:
Indische Maulbeere, Indischer Maulbeerbaum, Indischer Maulbeerstrauch, Noni-Baum
Common Names in Gujarati:
Ach, Al, Bartundi, Saraoji, Surangi
Common Names in Hindi:
Aach, Aal, Ach, Ak, Al, Ashi, आक, आल, बारतुिडं, सुरािल, Barraal, Bartundi, Surangi
Common Names in Kannada:
Al, Mulgul, Tagase Maddi
Common Names in Malay:
Bengkudu, Bengkudu Daun Besar, Bengkudu Laki-Laki, Mengkudu (Indonesia), Pacel (Indonesia)
Common Names in Malayalam:
Kattapitavalam, Kattaspitalavam, Manjanathhi, Manjanatthi, Mannanatti, Mannapavatta
Common Names in Marathi:
Aal, Ach, Al, Aval, Bartundi, Nagakuda, Nagakunda, Surangi
Common Names in Nepalese:
Hardikath
Common Names in Oriya:
Pindre
Common Names in Portuguese:
Pau-Azeitona
Common Names in Sanskrit:
Achchhuka, Achuka, Ashyka, Ashyuka
Common Names in Sinhalese:
Ahugaha, Yhugaha
Common Names in Spanish:
Huevo De Reuma (Dominican Republic), Mora De La India, Noni (Puerto Rico)
Common Names in Tagalog:
Bankudo
Common Names in Tamil:
Mancanaari, Munja Pavattay, Nuna, Nunaa, Periyanuna, Vellainunaa
Common Names in Telugu:
Maddi Chettu, Mogali, Molagha, Molugu, Mulugu, Togaru, Togarumaddi, Togarumogali
Common Names in Thai:
Mata Suea (Northern Thailand), Yae Yai (Karen), Yo Ban, Yor
Common Names in Urdu:
Achu
Common Names in Vietnamese:
Cây Nhàu, Trái Nhàu
Common Names in Visayan:
Bancudo, Bangcudo, Nino
Description
Physical Description
Species Morinda citrifolia
6m tree , hairless; stipules 1-2cm long and wide, slightly winged on edge ; blades 17-30xm long; tufts of hairs in nerve axils only; flower heads 1.5cm diam; corolla tube 6mm long, hairy in throat ; fruit (compound ) up to 7cm long, fleshy , strongly smelling, drying black.
Habit: Tree , Shrub • Growth Form: Single Stem • Shape and Orientation: Erect
Flowers: Bloom Period: Spring • Flower Color: White • Flower Conspicuous: No
Seeds: Seed per Pound: 30200 • Seed Spread Rate: Slow • Seedling Vigor: Medium • Fruit/Seed Abundance: Medium • Fruit/Seed Color: Yellow • Fruit/Seed Conspicuous: Yes • Cold Stratification Required: No
Foliage: Foliage Color: Green • Foliage Porosity Summer: Dense • Foliage Porosity Winter: Dense • Foliage Texture: Coarse • Fall Conspicuous: No • Leaf Retention: Yes
Size/Age/Growth
Active Growth Period: Year Round • Growth Rate: Moderate • Mature Height (feet): 20.0 • Maximum Height at 20 Years (feet): 20 • Size: 15-20' tall. • Vegetative Spread Rate: None • Lifespan: Lifespan
Habitat
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,400 meters (0 to 7,874 feet).Mean = 151.470 meters (496.949 feet), Standard Deviation = 371.250 based on 6,453 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.
Biology
Reproduction
Duration: Perennial • Coppice Potential: No • Progagated by Bulbs: No • Propagated by Bare Root: Yes • Propagated by Container: Yes • Propagated by Corms: No • Propagated by Cuttings: No • Propagated by Seed: Yes • Propagated by Sod: No • Propagated by Sprigs: No • Propagated by Tubers: No • Fruit/Seed Period Begin: Spring • Fruit/Seed Period End: Summer • Fruit/Seed Persistence: No
Growth
Culture: Space 15-20' apart.
Soil: Adapted to Medium Textured: Adapted to Medium Textured Soils • Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils: Yes • Anaerobic Tolerance: None • Salinity Tolerance: None • CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium • Minimum pH: 5.5 • Maximum pH: 7.0 • Fertility Requirement: Medium
Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade. • Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
Moisture: Drought Tolerance: Medium • Minimum Precipitation: 35 • Maximum Precipitation: 100 • Moisture Use: Medium
Temperature: Minimum Temperature (F): 36 • Minimum Frost Free Days: 365 • Cold Hardiness: 11. (map)
Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Plants
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Vascular Plants
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Dicotyledons
- Order:
Rubiales
()
- Family:
Pyraloidea
()
- Subfamily:
Rubioideae
()
- Genus:
Morinda
()
- Linnaeus, 1753
- Specific epithet:
citrifolia
- L.
- Botanical name: - Morinda citrifolia L.
- Specific epithet:
citrifolia
- L.
- Genus:
Morinda
(
- Subfamily:
Rubioideae
(
- Family:
Pyraloidea
(
- Order:
Rubiales
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
Unambiguous Synonyms
- Morinda angustifolia Roth
- Morinda aspera Wight & Arn.
- Morinda bracteata Roxb.
- Morinda chachuca Buch.-Ham.
- Morinda chrysorhiza (Thonn.) DC.
- Morinda citrifolia var. bracteata (Roxb.) Hook.f.
- Morinda citrifolia var. bracteata (Roxb.) Kurz
- Morinda citrifolia var. elliptica Hook.f.
- Morinda citrifolia forma potteri (O.Deg.) H.St.John
- Morinda citrifolia var. potteri O.Deg.
- Morinda coreia var. stenophylla (Spreng.) Chandrab.
- Morinda elliptica (Hook.f.) Ridl.
- Morinda ligulata Blanco
- Morinda littoralis Blanco
- Morinda macrophylla Desf.
- Morinda mudia Buch.-Ham.
- Morinda multiflora Roxb.
- Morinda nodosa Buch.-Ham.
- Morinda quadrangularis G.Don
- Morinda stenophylla Spreng.
- Morinda teysmanniana Miq.
- Morinda tinctoria Noronha
- Morinda tinctoria var. aspera (Wight & Arn.) Hook.f.
- Morinda tinctoria var. multiflora (Roxb.) Hook.f.
- Morinda tomentosa B.Heyne ex Roth
- Morinda zollingeriana Miq.
- Platanocephalus orientalis Crantz
- Psychotria chrysorhiza Thonn.
- Samama citrifolia (L.) Kuntze
- Sarcocephalus leichhardtii F.Muell.
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
. Latest taxonomic
scrutiny: Govaerts R., 11-Nov-2003
Place of publication
: Sp.
pl. 1:176. 1753
Name verified on 25-Mar-1993 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 23-Aug-1994
Similar Species
Members of the genus Morinda
There are approximately 174 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:
M. ammitia · M. angolensis · M. angustifolia · M. artensis · M. asperula · M. asteroscepa · M. aurantiaca · M. badia · M. barlingii · M. bartlingii · M. batesii · M. billardierei · M. brachycalyx · M. brevipes · M. buchii · M. bucidaefolia · M. bucidifolia · M. calciphila · M. callicarpifolia · M. calycina · M. candollei · M. canthoides · M. capitellata · M. celebica · M. chrysorrhiza · M. cinnamomea · M. cinnamomifoliata · M. citrifolia (Cheese Fruit) · M. citrifolia f. potteri · M. citrifolia var. citrifolia · M. citrifolia var. sativa · M. citrifolia var. typica · M. citrina · M. citrina var. chlorina · M. citrina var. citrina · M. cochinchinensis · M. collina · M. coreia · M. coriacea · M. corneri · M. costata · M. debilis · M. decipiens · M. deplanchei · M. elliptifolia · M. elmeri · M. fasciculata · M. ferruginea · M. geminata · M. gjellerupii · M. glaucescens · M. glomerata · M. grayi · M. guatemalensis · M. hainanensis · M. hirtella · M. hispida · M. hoffmannioides · M. hollrungiana · M. howiana · M. hupehensis · M. hypotephra · M. jackiana · M. jasminoides (Jasmine Morinda) · M. kanalensis · M. lacunosa · M. lastelliana · M. latibractea · M. latibracteata · M. laxa · M. laxiflora · M. leiantha · M. leichhardtii · M. leparensis · M. leptocalama · M. litseifolia · M. longiflora · M. longifolia · M. longiloba · M. longipedunculata · M. longipetiolata · M. longissima · M. lucida · M. micrantha · M. microcephala · M. moaensis · M. mollis · M. montana · M. morindoides · M. myrtifolia · M. myrtifolia var. brevifolia · M. myrtifolia var. choriophylla · M. myrtifolia var. myrtifolia · M. myrtifolia var. velutina · M. nana · M. nanlingensis · M. nanlingensis var. pauciflora · M. naudia · M. neo-caledonica · M. neocaledonica
Bibliography
- Agroforestry.net. The traditional tree initiative: species profiles for Pacific Island agroforestry - on-line resource. (Trad Tree Init)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959–. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. (F China)
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1985–1992. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials (revised edition). New Delhi. (Wealth India RM ed2) 6:423–424.
- Craib, W. G. & A. F. G. Kerr, eds. 1925–1962. Florae siamensis enumeratio. (F Siam)
- Dittmar, A. 1993. "Morinda citrifolia L.--Use in Indigenous Samoan Medicine." Journal of Herbs and Medicinal Plants Vol. 1 (3).
- Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11. (L Aust)
- Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard)
- Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993–. Flora of Japan. (F Japan)
- Johansson, J. T. 1994. The genus Morinda (Morindeae, Rubioideae, Rubiaceae) in New Caledonia: taxonomy and phylogeny. Opera Bot. 122:44.
- Lemmens, R. H. M. J. & N. Wulijarni-Soetjipto, eds. 1991. Dye and tannin-producing plants. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 3:94–96.
- Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
- McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
- Morton 1992 (J. Econ. Bot.) Morton, J. 1992. "The Ocean-Going Noni, or Indian Mulberry (Morinda citrifolia, Rubiaceae) and Some of Its Colorful Relatives." Economic Botany 46 (3): 241-256.
- Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970–. Flora of [West] Pakistan. (F Pak)
- Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) - on-line resource. (Pl Names)
- Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. (Dict Rehm)
- Smith, A. C. 1979–1991. Flora vitiensis nova. (F Viti)
- Verheij, E. W. M. & R. E. Coronel, eds. 1991. Edible fruits and nuts. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). (Pl Res SEAs) 2:379.
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed June 18, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
- MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
- USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 29, 2008)
- World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesFeb 2, 2006.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 11, 2007:
- Australian National Herbarium
- , Australian National Herbarium
- Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Bishop Museum Natural History Specimen Data
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Virtual Herbarium Darwin Core format
- Herbarium of the University of Aarhus, The AAU Herbarium Database
- Herbier de la Guyane, Herbier de la Guyane
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
- , Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Plants of Papua New Guinea
- USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2657012
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Kew-129789
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14262608
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:756359-1
- GRIN Nomen Number: 318237
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 35071
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PDRUB18010
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: MOCI3
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 50624
