Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels

Synonyms

Eugenia cumini (L.) Druce
Myrtus cumini L.

Family

Myrtaceae

Common Names

black plum, Damson plum, Duhat plum, jaman, jambolan, jambolan plum, jambul, Java plum, Javan plum, Malabar plum, Portuguese plum

Origin

It is believed to be native to eastern tropical Africa (i.e. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka), China and south-eastern Asia (i.e. Indonesia and Malaysia). However, the exact native range of this species is obscure.

Naturalised Distribution

Occasionally naturalised in the coastal districts of central and northern Queensland.

Naturalised overseas in tropical and southern Africa, south-eastern USA (i.e. ), tropical South America, the Caribbean, the Mascarenes (i.e. La Réunion), the Seychelles, and on several Pacific Islands (e.g. the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, the Galapagos Islands and Hawaii).

Notes

Jambolan plum (Syzygium cumini) is regarded as an environmental weed in northern Queensland, and as a potential environmental weed or "sleeper weed" in other parts of northern Australia. It is a serious weed on some Pacific islands, and is listed in the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD).