Hot on the Internet! What is this plant that can produce "gems"?

Recently, a plant called "Opal Berry" has attracted countless fans on self-media platforms. Its thin branches bear bunches of ice-blue fruits, which are as crystal clear as gems and very attractive. Netizens have given them names such as "Rare Berry Sapphire Opal Berry", "Gemstone Clerodendrum", "Sapphires Hanging on the Tree", "Opal Berry - Nature's Gem", and "Sapphire Opal Berry".

'Opalberry'. Image credit: iNaturalist NZ © Jono Underwood

Although I have not seen it with my own eyes, I can tell from the photos and videos that this plant is a small shrub that grows in open grasslands, rocks or sand. Information shows that it also grows in riverbeds and sparse woodlands in mountainous areas. It likes sunlight but can be semi-shade-tolerant, and can tolerate heat but not cold.

Part 1

Do “opal berries” really contain protein?

"Opal berry" is the nickname given to it by Chinese netizens and plant lovers. Of course, some people also call it gem skunkleaf . After inquiry, I learned that its official Chinese name is Coprosma acerosa , a perennial shrub of the Rubiaceae family and the genus Coprosma that is endemic to New Zealand. This name rarely appears in the push notifications released by up masters on various platforms.

Sand gooseberry leaves. Image source: The University of Auckland, New Zealand

The leaflets of the yew-like tree grow in clusters on short branches with brown to copper-colored leaf margins. The twigs spread out to creep and intertwine together, forming mat-like masses that can reach 2 meters in diameter.

Male flowers of the sand gooseberry. Image source: The University of Auckland, New Zealand

Female flowers of the sand gooseberry. Image source: The University of Auckland, New Zealand

What many people don't know is that the sand goose fruit is a dioecious plant . Its male and female flowers are very small, solitary at the top of short branches, with a diameter of only 2-3mm, and a funnel-shaped corolla with 4 to 5 lobes. Its female flower corolla lobes are narrow and oblong, with 4 to 5 sepals, and two yellow-green hairy stigmas extend out of the flower when in bloom; while the male flower corolla lobes are ovate and oblong, with missing or degenerated sepals, but with fused cup-shaped bracts and 4 to 5 stamens. At this point, those flower lovers who have tried to grow sand goose fruits may understand why the sand goose fruits they grow only grow leaves but no fruits, because you may not find a "partner" for them.

Ink line drawing of the sand gooseberry. Image source: Cheeseman, TF, Illustrations of the New Zealand flora (1914) Ill. New Zealand Fl.

The fruit of the sand goose fruit is a berry, which is translucent spherical, nearly spherical or wide oval, about 5-7mm in diameter, often with dark spots, and crystal clear. You can imagine that it must be very attractive when it sparkles in the sun.

Its fruit matures throughout the year, and generally blooms from September to November, and does not bear fruit until the spring of the following year. The fruit color changes from white to dark blue as it matures, sometimes with blue stripes. Therefore, the fruit of the sand goose fruit is not necessarily blue ice gemstone, but also white, light blue and dark blue gemstones.

White fruit of the sand gooseberry. Image source: New Zealand Plant Conservation Network official website

The fruit of the sand gooseberry is light blue striped. Image source: New Zealand Plant Conservation Network official website

Part 2

The sand goose fruit is hard to find

The fruits of the genus Asteraceae, to which the sand goose fruit belongs, are crystal clear and most of them are very beautiful, ranging in color from red, orange to blue and purple.

The fruit of the sand goose fruit is edible and is said to have a light sweet and sour taste. Some netizens say it has a fig flavor. Such a beautiful color and sweet and sour flavor must attract humans to eat it while also attracting animals to help spread its seeds. Of course, the sand goose fruit also reproduces by seeds. In addition to tasting the fruit of the sand goose fruit, people also found that its seeds can be roasted and ground into powder to replace coffee, and it has a unique aroma.

The coffee we know is from the same family as the oleander, both are Rubiaceae plants, but coffee belongs to the genus Coffea , while the oleander belongs to the genus Eleutherodendron. Eleutherodendron has more than 100 species distributed in the Pacific region, mainly in Hawaii, Australia, Borneo, western Java to eastern New Guinea. Their leaves are as their name suggests, because their leaves contain sulfur-containing organic substances such as methyl mercaptan, and if you rub them gently, they will have a fecal odor.

The genus name of the genus Coprosma comes from the Greek word kopros (dung) and osme (smell), which means "stinky", so it is not wrong to call it the genus family of stinking leaves. The specific epithet acerosa of the genus Acerosa comes from the Latin word acus, which means sharp, so the genus Acerosa can also be called coniferous stinking leaves.

Part 3

Another plant that produces "gems"

Although we rarely see the honeysuckle, there are many plants around us that can produce gem-like fruits, such as the Caprifoliaceae Lonicera . Among the honeysuckle plants, there are many species with red fruits, such as the golden and silver honeysuckle ( Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Maxim., also known as the golden and silver wood), the blue-leaved honeysuckle ( Lonicera korolkowii Stapf) and the Xinjiang honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica L.).

Honeysuckle. Image source: provided by the author

Blue-leaved honeysuckle. Image source: provided by the author

Xinjiang honeysuckle. Image source: provided by the author

The fruit of this species of honeysuckle ( Lonicera japonica Thunb. , also known as honeysuckle) is black when ripe. There is another species of honeysuckle whose fruit shape is very special. Its fruit ovary is connected at the lower part. People like to call it crotch fruit or sheep urine bubble. Its scientific name is bitter candy ( Lonicera fragrantissima var. lancifolia (Rehder) QE Yang).

Bitter candy. Image source: courtesy of the author

'Creeping Branch' Bright-Leafed Honeysuckle. Image source: provided by the author

Among the honeysuckle genus, the closest fruit to the sand goose fruit I have seen is a variety of the bright-leaved honeysuckle ( Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis Franch. ) - 'Creeping' bright-leaved honeysuckle ( ligustrina var. yunnanensis 'Maigrun' ). During the development of the fruit, it will gradually change from green to purple, and sometimes appear white and light purple. When viewed against the light, the ripe fruit is quite attractive, and dark spots will form due to the action of the seeds.

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: Qin Yalong Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden

Producer: China Science Expo

This article only represents the author's views and does not represent the position of China Science Expo

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