Botanical Name: Mimusops elengi L.
Family: Sapotaceae
Common names: Spanish cherry, Indian Medlar, Bullet wood Tree, Asian bulletwood, Bakul tree, Spanish cherry
Vernacular/Local name: Ovla
Diagnostic characters: Evergreen tree with shining leaves. Flowers are small, fragrant, creamy-white, petals eight, each with two side lobes and are united to form a star-shaped structure. Fruit is a yellow or orange colored berry.
Phenology: October – April
Etymology: The genus name Mimusops is from two Greek words, mimos meaning mimic and opsis meaning the face (the corolla and the shape of the flowers resemble a monkey’s face); elengi is the Malayalam name of the species.
Uses:
- Flowers offered in temples and shrines. In Goan traditional Hindu weddings, a garland made from the flowers is a mandatory element.
- Fruits are eaten fresh but astringent in taste.
- The bark and tender leaves are used to treat gingivitis, bleeding gums, loose teeth, and oral ulcers. Some people use a bark decoction as a mouthwash, while others chew the leaves or unripe fruit.
- Dried and powdered flowers can be used as a nasal application to relieve headaches and sinusitis.
- The cold infusion or decoction of the bark is used to treat diarrhoea and intestinal worms.
- In Ayurveda, the powdered, dried flowers are used as a cardiac tonic to strengthen heart muscles.
References:
