A fast growing, evergreen native of Indonesia and northern Queensland, which grows from 5 -30 m with an open, spreading crown, often exceeding the height. It is frost tender and drought tolerant when established, preferring a protected, partially shaded position on deep, well drained, fertile, humus rich soil. It thrives along watercourses. It needs a near tropical climate to produce fruit.
The purple - black, olive shaped, somewhat astringent fruits are eaten raw and in jams, jellies, preserves, liquors, vinegar and pies. A wine resembling port in taste and colour is made from the fruit. The fruit is sometimes soaked in salt water to remove the astringency. The bark is used in the preparation of a sugar cane juice wine.
Nutritional composition of the Java plum per 100 grams of edible portion is: Water - 83.75 -85.8%, Protein - 0.7 - 0.129 g, Ash - 0..32 - 0.4 g, Fat - 0.15 - 0.3 g, Carbohydrates 14.0 g, Fiber - 0.3 - 0.9 mg, Magnesium - 35 mg, Calcium - 8.3 - 15 mg, Iron - 1.2 - 1.62 mg, Phosphorous - 15 - 16.2 mg, Sodium - 26.2 mg, Copper - 0.23 mg, Potassium - 55 mg, Sulphur - 13 mg, Chlorine - 8 mg, Carotene - 80 I.U., Thiamin - 0.008 - 0.03 mg, Riboflavin - 0.009 - 0.01 mg, Niacin - 0.2 - 0.29 mg, Ascorbic acid - 5.7 - 18 mg.
The wood is red, greyish - red or greyish - brown, coarse and hard, with a close, straight grain. Although difficult to work, the kiln dried wood achieves a high polish. It is durable in water and resistant to borers and termites. In India and Pakistan it is used extensively for posts, beams, cart shafts, solid cart wheels, yokes, boat building, hut construction, oars, canoes, boat masts, house building, rice mortars, turnery, furniture and is an acceptable fuel. The bark contains 13 - 19% tannin and is used in tanning and preserving fishing nets. The bark yields a durable brown dye.
The flowers produce an abundance of nectar, which produces a fine honey but this ferments in a few months. The tree is a host to the tsar silkworm. The seed is fed to cattle and is rich in protein and carbohydrates.
The leaves are astringent, their juice is used to treat dysentry with blood discharges and is given in 2 - 4 fluid ounce doses. The bark is astringent also and its juice is given in similar doses for chronic diarrhoea and dysentry and for menorrhogia. A decoction of the bark is used as a mouth wash and gargle for treating spongy gums, stomatitis, relaxed throat and other mouth diseases. A paste of the burnt bark is mixed with a bland oil and is used to treat burns and scalds. The fruit juice is astringent, stomachic, carminative, antiscorbutic and diuretic and is used in enlargement of the spleen, chronic diarrhoea and suppressed or scanty urine. The seed is astringent and efficacious for diabetes, mellitus and glycosuria. It quickly reduces sugar in urine. The leaves, stems, flowerbuds, opened flowers and bark are found to have an antibiotic effect.
Propagation is from seed or tip cuttings.