Botany:
A fast growing tree to a height of 5-10 meters, with spreading branches. Leaves are hairy, sticky, alternate, distichous, oblong-ovate to broadly oblong-lanceolate, 8 to 12 cm long, with toothed margins, pointed apex and inequilateral base, one side rounded and the other acute. Flowers are 2 cm in diameter, white, extra-axillary, solitary or in pairs. Sepals are 5, green, reflexed, lanceolate, about 1 cm long. Petals are white, obovate, i cm long and spreading. The berry fruitis rounded, about 1.5 cm diameter, red on ripening, smooth, fleshy, sweet and many seeded.

Distribution
Naturalized, widely distributed.

Parts utilized
Bark, leaves and flowers.

Properties
Antispasmodic and emollient.

Uses
Folkloric
Decoction of flowers for abdominal cramps.
Decoction used as emollient.
Flowers used as antiseptic and to treat spasms.
Also used to relieve colds and headaches.
In the Antiles, used as antispasmodic.
In Martinique, bark decoction is mucilaginous and used as emollient.
Others
Bark used for making rope.
Wood is compact, fine-grained, moderately strong and light in weight and durable.

Studies
• Antibacterial Activity: The study concluded that M. calabura possesses a potential antibacterial property that is comparable to the standard antibiotics used. The study also suggests the presence of a more potent polar antibacterial compound.
• Activity-guided isolation of the chemical constituents of Muntingia calabura using a quinone reductase induction assay: The study isolated a flavanone as well as 24 known compounds, which were mainly flavanones and flavones.
• Antinociceptive / Anti-inflammatory / Antipyretic: The study concludes that M. calabura leaves possessed antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities, justifying the Peruvian folkloric medicinal use.
• Cytotoxic / Anticancer: (1) Plant anticancer agents, XLVIII. New cytotoxic flavonoids from Muntingia calabura roots: 12 new flavonoids were isolated (7 flavans, 3 flavones, two biflavans). Most of the isolates demonstrated cytotoxic activity and some exhibited selective activities when evaluated with a number of human cancer cell lines. (2) Study of leaves and stems of Muntingia calabura leaves and stems yielded cytotoxic flavonoids: chrysin, 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone and galangin 3, 7-dimethyl ether. The compounds were active against one or more panels of human and murine cell lines.
• Cardioprotective / Anticancer: Pretreatment with M calabura leaf extract efficiently protected the myocardium against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. It brought about a significant decrease in cardiac marker enzyme activities probably due reduction in extent of myocardial damage and restriction of leakage of enzymes from the myocardium.
• Antinociceptive / Opioid Receptor Connect: Aqueous extract of Muntingia calibura showed significant antinociceptive activity against chemically and thermally induced noxious stimuli. The bioactive compounds responsible for the activity work partly through the opioid receptor system.

Availability
Wild-crafted.