Can I Eat The Fruit From Meliosma Veitchiorum
By Duracell
United Kingdom 
I have identified several Meliosma Veitchiorum trees growing wild on an old railway line with lots of dark violet coloured berries on them, Is It okay to harvest them and for what purpose would I use
21 Aug, 2009
Answers
Duracell, I know that this is an old post, but I'd be interested to know if you have positively identified this tree as I would love to obtain some fruit. It's quite a rare tree so I'd be surprised to find it growing on a railway embankment, but you never know! The fruit is described in Hillier's Manual as being violet.
It is hardy as I've seen a nice tree growing in the garden at Nymans in Sussex and I have Meliosma pinnata var. oldhamii growing here in Argyll.
14 Jun, 2011
I am not certain they're edible - have done some research, and nowhere does it say they're edible - on the other hand, it doesn't say they're poisonous either. It IS, though, described as having decorative flowers and "drupes" which means the berries or nuts - as its a member of the Sabaciae, they're likely nutlike inside, like a snake coiled up, though I can't say for sure. These trees don't survive in Britain though - here they grow only as shrubs, reaching about 6 feet, so its possible that what you think you've found isn't that at all.
25 Aug, 2009