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Spanish cherry is an evergreen tree with a dense, rounded, spreading crown; it usually grows from 15 - 30 metres tall, exceptionally to 40 metres. The bole is often short and divided into several large main branches, but it is sometimes branchless for up to 15 or even 20 metres; it can be up to 100cm in diameter, with buttresses either absent or up to 2 metres high
The tree provides food, medicine and a range of commodities for the local people. It is often cultivated in the tropics and subtropics, as an ornamental (where it is particularly valued for its fragrant flowers), in order to provide shade along roads and in gardens, and also for its wide range of uses In some countries in tropical Asia (e.g. Indonesia) the wood is traded commercially, but it is probably traded in mixed consignments comprising the wood of many other Sapotaceae. In Africa it is used only very locally and is not traded
Although not generally seen as a threatened species, in some regions in Asia (such as The Philippines), Mimusops elengi is classified as a vanishing timber tree
The bark is astringent, bitter and tonic. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery
A decoction of the bark, sometimes mixed with the flowers, is used as a gargle to treat gum inflammation, toothache etc It is also used to treat gonorrhoea, snakebites, fevers, wounds, scabies and eczema It is often combined with tamarind bark (Tamarindus indica) then used as a lotion on skin complaints
The leaves are used to treat headache, toothache, wounds and sore eyes, and are smoked to cure infections of the nose and mouth
The flowers have been used as a remedy against diarrhoea
The young fruits have been employed in a gargle for treating sprue
The pounded seeds are used to cure obstinate constipation
Several triterpenes have been isolated from the plant, as well as steroidal glycosides
The major chemical compounds in the flowers are aromatic alcohols and esters
The ethyl-acetate-soluble fraction of an alcoholic extract of the bark showed anti-ulcer activity against experimental gastric ulcers; this activity was attributed to a decrease in gastric acid secretory activity along with strengthening of mucosal defensive mechanisms
A methanolic extract caused hypotensive activity; it may possess calcium-blocking activity
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