ADANI KRISHNAPATNAM PORT
PLANT NAME : Mimusops elengi
PLANTED BY : Sh. Pankaj Singhal
SAFETY - HEAD
Location : South Nursery (AKPL)
DATE : 18-07-2024
TIME : 2:51 PM
SOUTH NURSERY
PLANT LOCATION
PLANT DESCRIPTION
Mimusops elengi is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. English common names include Spanish cherry, medlar, and bullet wood. Its timber is valuable, the fruit is edible, and it is used in traditional medicine. As the trees give thick shade and flowers emit fragrance, it is a prized collection of gardens.
CLASSIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Tree (Medium (16m-30m)) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Rounded |
| Maximum Height | 15 m |
| Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 10 m |
BIOGEOGRAPHY
| Native Distribution | India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Native Habitat | Terrestrial |
| Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
DESCRIPTION AND ETHNOBOTANY
| Growth Form | it can grow up to 15 m tall. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | The leaves are thick, oblong, simple, and spirally arranged, between 5-12cm long and 3-6cm wide. |
| Flowers | The flowers are very small, about 1.2cm wide, creamy-white, star-shaped and borne in small clusters on the leaf axils. They are bisexual, with 8 white petals, each with two side lobes, joined into a star-like corolla with 24 points and they fall off as a ring. |
| Fruit | The fruits are oval, pointed and similar in size to small olives (2-3cm long). They turn from green to orange-red when ripe. |
LANDSCAPING FEATURES
| Desirable Plant Features | Fragrant (Flowers) (Night, Dawn / Dusk, Day) |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | General, Suitable for Roadsides, Parks & Gardens, Coastal |
FAUNA, POLLINATION AND DISPERSAL
| Pollination Method(s) | Abiotic (Wind) |
|---|---|
| Seed or Spore Dispersal | Biotic (Fauna) (Vertebrates (Bat), Vertebrates (Other Mammal)) |
PLANT CARE AND PROPAGATION
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Propagation Method | Seed, Stem Cutting |
| Seed / Spore Germination Duration | 17 days to 82 days |
| Seed / Spore Germination Rate | 70% to 90% |
FLORAL (ANGIOSPERM)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual & Bisexual Flowers(Sub-dioecious) |
| Flower Colour(s) | White |
|---|---|
| Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
FRUIT, SEED AND SPORE
| Mature Fruit Colour(s) | Orange, Red |
|---|---|
| Mature Seed Colour(s) | Brown, Red |
| Seed Quantity Per Fruit | Few (1-5) |
BENEFITS
The bark, flowers, fruits, and seeds of Bakula are used in Ayurvedic medicine in which it is purported to be astringent, cooling, anthelmintic, tonic, and febrifuge. It is mainly used for dental ailments such as bleeding gums, pyorrhea, dental caries, and loose teeth.
