Morinda citrifolia

"Noni" redirects here. For other uses, see Noni (disambiguation).

Morinda citrifolia
Leaves and fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Morinda
Species:
M. citrifolia
Binomial name
Morinda citrifolia
Synonyms[1]
16 synonyms
  • Samama citrifolia (L.) Kuntze
  • Morinda citrifolia f. potteri (O.Deg.) H.St.John
  • Morinda citrifolia var. potteri O.Deg.
  • Morinda ligulata Blanco
  • Morinda litoralis Blanco
  • Morinda macrophylla Desf.
  • Morinda mudia Buch.-Ham.
  • Morinda multiflora Roxb.
  • Morinda nodosa Buch.-Ham.
  • Morinda quadrangularis G.Don
  • Morinda teysmanniana Miq.
  • Morinda tinctoria Noronha
  • Morinda tinctoria var. multiflora (Roxb.) Hook.f.
  • Morinda zollingeriana Miq.
  • Platanocephalus orientalis Crantz
  • Sarcocephalus leichhardtii F.Muell.

Morinda citrifolia is a fruit-bearing tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to Southeast Asia and Australasia, which was spread across the Pacific by Polynesian sailors.[2] The species is now cultivated throughout the tropics and widely naturalised.[3] There are over 100 names for this fruit across different regions, including great morinda, Indian mulberry, noni, beach mulberry, vomit fruit, awl tree, and rotten cheese fruit.[4]

The pungent odour of the fresh fruit has made it a famine food in most regions, but it remains a staple food among some cultures and is used in traditional medicine. In the consumer market, dietary supplements are sold in various formats, such as capsules and juices.

Fruit in cross-section
  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference POWO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Pieroni, Andrea (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 36. ISBN 0415927463.
  3. ^ Nelson, SC (2006-04-01). "Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry: Morinda citrifolia (noni)". Traditional Tree Initiative.
  4. ^ "Some worldwide names for Morinda citrifolia L." The Noni Website. University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2023.