[2][6] F. indica and Flacourtia ramontchi (the Madagascar plum) are treated as separate species, including by Plants of the World Online,[7][8][9] but not by GRIN (United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service).

[10] It is native to the countries (and regions) of Aldabra (Seychelles), Assam, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, southeastern China, Comoros, Congo, Ethiopia, Hainan, India, Java, Kenya, Laccadive Islands, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, South Africa (in the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces), Sudan, Sulawesi, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zaire and Zimbabwe.

In India, it is used in folk medicine to treat functional disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and gout.

Its berries are edible, and the bark can be triturated (ground) with sesamum oil and then used as alignment of rheumatism.

Similarly, the extract of its fruit has diuretic, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic properties (Patro et al.

[14] Antimalarial compounds have been found in the aerial parts of Flacourtia indica.

[15] The tree is planted as a living fence; it was one of the species used for the Indian Inland Customs Line.