Typical of the Apocynaceae family
Carissa inermis
Bush Plum
- Habit
- Climbing shrub
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
- Flowering
- January-June
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP native range includes Andaman Is., India, Nicobar Is., West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; listed synonym of Carissa spinarum. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Africa to Indo-China.
- Recorded habitat
- Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests
- Explore nearby plants
- Tamil Nadu →Karnataka →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Bush Plum
Identify Bush Plum by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a climbing shrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Thornless unlike most Carissa (inermis = unarmed).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-June.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Carissa inermis
- Genus
- Carissa
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Habit
- Climbing shrub
- Habitat
- Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-June
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“The leaves are glossy green, opposite, narrow ovate to lanceolate and 1–5 cm (0.4–2.0 in) in length.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“The leaves are glossy green, opposite, narrow ovate to lanceolate and 1–5 cm (0.4–2.0 in) in length.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bush Plum itself; the rest are typical of the Apocynaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Follicle
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bush Plum itself; the rest are typical of the Apocynaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Bush Plum
Bush Plum (Carissa inermis) is a climbing shrub in the Apocynaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It grows in evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from January to June.
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Bush Plum belongs to the Apocynaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
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