Goat Milk Fruit

Goat Milk Fruit

　　　【Alias】Ox Louse Fruit, Goat Mountain Mi Tree, Prostrate Elaeagnus

　　　　【Source】Elaeagnus sarmentosa Rehd. from the family Elaeagnaceae (Goat Milk Fruit), used medicinally for its root, fruit, and leaves.

　　　　【Habitat and Distribution】Yunnan.

　　　　【Properties and Channels】Acidic, neutral.

　　　　【Functions and Indications】Relieves cough and asthma, astringes and calms diarrhea. Used to treat asthma, deficiency cough, chronic bronchitis, enteritis, diarrhea, bruises and swelling, rheumatic pain, jaundice. Also treats hematemesis, hemoptysis, sore throat, colds, infantile convulsions, sores, and ringworm.

　　　　Every March and April, the early-ripening goat milk fruit quickly catches people’s eyes: oval-shaped, blood-red in color, slightly larger than a pigeon egg. Pop one into your mouth and take a gentle bite, and a burst of sweet-and-sour juice will gush out — though the sourness can be overwhelming, making your teeth tingle. But if soaked in sugar water, the taste becomes quite delightful.

　　　　Scientifically known as Elaeagnus conferta, the goat milk fruit is a perennial evergreen climbing shrub of the Elaeagnaceae family, native to tropical Asia. It is found in Vietnam, Malaysia, India, as well as in Yunnan and southern Guangxi of China. It flowers from October to November and bears fruit from March to April of the following year. The fruit is highly nutritious, with an edible rate of 73.3–91%. Each 100 grams of fresh fruit contains 90.6% water, 2.45% crude protein, 2.8% crude fat, 5.1% total sugar, and 1.45% total acid. The juicy and non-toxic fruit can be eaten fresh or processed into juice, soda, canned food, preserves, and other edibles. Since it ripens early, it serves as a new variety for the off-season fruit market and food industry. Its roots, leaves, and fruits are all medicinal, used to treat indigestion, coughing and wheezing, hemoptysis, lumbar sprains, hemorrhoids, and hernia.

　　　　Elaeagnus usually grows in mixed mountain forests or beside sunny valleys, and sometimes on trees such as trident maple or oak, forming the curious sight of “trees growing on trees.” As living standards improve, Elaeagnus is often cultivated as a foliage or fruit ornamental bonsai and brought into refined indoor settings.