Cordia is a genus of shrubs and trees in the borage family Boraginaceae. About 300 species have been identified worldwide, mostly in warmer regions. Many of the species are commonly called manjack.

Many Cordias have fragrant showy flowers and are popular in gardens, although they are not especially hardy. Like most other Boraginaceae, most have hairy leaves.

Cordia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus and two bucculatricid leaf-miners recorded solely from Cordia: Bucculatrix caribbea and Bucculatrix cordiaella.

A number of the tropical species have edible fruits, known by a wide variety of names including clammy cherries, glue berries, sebesten or snotty gobbles. In India, the fruits of local species are used as a vegetable, raw, cooked, or pickled, and are known by many names, including lasora in Hindi. One such species is Cordia dichotoma (fragrant manjack), which is called gunda in Hindi. The fruit of the fragrant manjack are called phoà-pò·-chí (破布子) in Taiwan where they are eaten pickled.

Bocote is a Spanish name used in Central America for several species of Cordia.

Selected Species

References

• Cordia L. Plants Profile at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website