Ceylon Gooseberry

Kauaʻi evidence

Taxonomic identity, tree form, diagnostic morphology and island occurrence use the linked reviewed sources. Historical planting, cultivation, naturalization and invasive status are separate. Generated imagery is not occurrence evidence. The 1918–1959 Kauaʻi reforestation working register records 1,525 plants under Doryalis hebecarpa across 1 entries dated 1940. These are recorded planting quantities, not counts of surviving trees, and they do not by themselves establish current persistence, naturalization, or ecological impact. Source: Kauaʻi Reforestation Plantings 1918–1959 working register (user-supplied; reconciled 6 October 2026).

Names and classification

Scientific name

Dovyalis hebecarpa

Common names

Ceylon Gooseberry · Ketembilla

Other names

Dovyalis hebecarpa · Ceylon gooseberry · Ketembilla · Doryalis hebecarpa

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Recorded on Kauaʻi

Origin

Introduced

Conservation status

Not yet assessed

Evidence date

2026-10-06

Evidence limits

Current survival on Kauaʻi, number of trees, occupied habitat, flowering or fruiting, recruitment, population trend, and ecological effects are all unconfirmed; no naturalization or invasive severity is inferred from the historical planting record.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Not yet assessed

Food and resource needs

Not yet assessed

Reproduction

Normally separate male and female plants require pollen transfer between compatible flowers for berry and seed production. The fruit matures with a softly hairy purple skin. Kauaʻi sex representation, pollination, fruit set, seed dispersal, viability, and recruitment remain unconfirmed.

Shelter

Not yet assessed

Growth form

Shrub or small tree

Threats and conservation

Monitoring

Not yet assessed

Data gaps

Current population extent and trajectory · Additional species-specific ecological and conservation sources

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Not yet assessed

Seasonal description

Ceylon Gooseberry (Dovyalis hebecarpa) is a post-contact introduced tree documented on Kauaʻi through historical forestry planting records. The reviewed records do not establish present survival. Native to Sri Lanka in seasonally dry tropical vegetation. A 1980 forestry ledger documents Kauaʻi planting in 1940; it does not establish current survival, reproduction, or naturalization.

Sources and further reading

• https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:111561-1
• https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:111561-1/general-information
• https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/47617.pdf