Digital Garden

Pithecellobium dulce

Jungle jalebi, Madras thorn, Ganga imli, Vilayati imli 

Scientific name- Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Bth. 

Local name- Jungle jalebi, Madras thorn, Ganga imli, Vilayati imli 

Family- Fabaceae 

Habit type- Tree 

Habitat- It is found in open and disturbed fields, up to altitude 500 m. 

Leaves 

leaves are bipinnate. Each pinna has a single pair of ovate-oblong leaflets that are about 2 to 4 cm (0.79 to 1.57 in) long. Circular gland is present at the junction between the pinnae and leaflets. 

Bark 

It is a tree, up to 15 m tall, single or multiple trunks with dense bushy crown. Trunks become gnarled with age and twigs have a pair of sharp spines at the base of the leaf stalks which are modified from stipules. 

Inflorescence 

Terminal racemose panicles. 

Flowers 

Flower is small, cream-white coloured and occurs in groups of 8 – 20, which resembles a round head. 

Corolla- Tubular, valvate, stigma capitate. 

Calyx- Small, 5-tooth. 

Stamens- Monadelphous. 

Fruits 

Fruit is spirally coiled into a circle (about 5 – 7 cm diameter), ripening from green to red or brown and splits open along both edges to reveal 5 – 9 seeds within. Seed is glossy black, oval-elliptical (0.9 – 1.2 cm long and 0.7 cm wide) with fleshy white or pinkish edible aril, covering the lower half of the seed. 

Flowering and Fruiting Time- January – March 

FACTS & MEDICINAL USES 

• Used to counter gum diseases. 

• Bark is used to cure Dysentery. 

• Pithecellobium leaves are effective in combating gallbladder disease. 

• Pithecellobium dulce leaves are rich in vitamin c which boosts the immune system. 

• Reduces phlegm and cures cold.