"Noni trees are identifiable by a straight trunk, large, bright green and elliptical leaves, white tubular flowers, and its distinctive, ovoid, "grenade-like" yellow fruit. Noni fruit can grow in size up to 12 cm or more and has a lumpy surface covered by polygonal-shaped sections. The seeds, which are triangular shaped and reddish brown, have an air sac attached at one end, which makes the seeds buoyant. This could explain, in part, the wide distribution of the plant throughout the Polynesian islands."

Distribution:
Noni Plants grow along coastlines, along streams, on the inner margins of mangroves, as an understorey plant in open forests, and in fallow areas, thickets, and waste places.

Noni plant is a sturdy and can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. It grows in dry, wet, acidic, alkaline, and even saline soils.

The biodiversity in French Polynesia was minimal and noni has grown there for centuries. It spreads unrestrained throughout the South Pacific and Hawaii.

Noni is "indigenous from tropical Asia and Australia to southeast Polynesia and Hawaii and the Marshall and Gilbert Islands in Micronesia; probably an aboriginal introduction into at least the eastern part of its range."

Noni is called "beach mulberry," "Indian mulberry" and various other names .

Noni has distinct chemical constituents (See Noni Fruit) which are responsible for its healing characteristics.

Noni Fruit:
Noni fruit is a densely clustered globose syncarp, and is fleshy. Noni Fruit is globose-ovoid, cone-like, yellowish white and somewhat gelatinous when ripe. Noni fruit contains seeds which have alkaloids, but not there are no alkaloids in the fruit itself. Noni fruit contains polysaccarides, scopoletin, vitamins and minerals.

It takes about a year for fruit to develop on new trees. Once established noni trees bear fruit year-round.

Compounds Identified in Noni Fruit:
acetic acid, asperuloside, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, butanoic acid (n-butyric acid), I-butanol, n-butyric acid, calcium, carotene, decanoic acid, 6-dodeceno-y -lactone 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid, elaidic acid, ethyl decanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl palmitate, (ethylthiomethyl) benzene, eugenol, glucose, heptanoic acid, 2-heptanone, hexadecane, hexanamide, hexanedioic acid, hexanoic acid, 1-hexanol, hexyl hexanoate, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, iron, isobutyric acid, isocaproic acid, isovaleric acid, lauric acid, limonene, linoleic acid, magnesium, 2-methylbutanoic acid, 2-methyl-2-butenyl decanoate, 2-methyl-2-butenyl hexanoate, 3-methyl-2-buten-l-ol, 3-methyl-3-buten-l-ol, methyl decanoate, methyl elaidate, methyl hexanoate, methyl 3-methylthio-propanoate, methyl octanoate, methyl oleate, methyl palmitate, 2-methylpropanoic acid, 3-methylthiopropanoic acid, myristic acid, nonanoic acid, octanoic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, paraffin, potassium, scopoletin, sodium, terpenoids , 2,5-undecadien-l-ol, undecanoic acid, n-valeric acid, vitamin C, vomifoliol