Carissa carandas | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Genus: | Carissa |
Species: | C. carandas |
Binomial name | |
Carissa carandas | |
Synonyms | |
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Carissa carandas is a species of flowering shrub in the family Apocynaceae. It produces berry-sized fruits that are commonly used as a condiment in Indian pickles and spices. It is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant that thrives well in a wide range of soils. Common names in English include Bengal currant, Christ's thorn, [1] Carandas plum, Karonda, Karanda and Kanna . [2] [3]
The supposed varieties congesta and paucinervia refer to the related conkerberry ( C. spinarum ).
The plant flourishes in regions with high temperatures, and it is abundant in the Western Ghats of Konkan in the western coastal states of Maharashtra , Coastal districts Karavali of Karnataka state Goa in India. It is also grown in the temperate conditions of the Himalayan Siwalik Hills of India and Nepal at elevations of 30 to 1,800 metres (98 to 5,906 ft). In other parts of India, it is grown on a limited scale in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. It is also found in other South Asian countries like in the lowland rain forests of Sri Lanka, and in Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. It is an introduced species in the Americas and other parts of Asia. [3]
The plant is grown from seed sown in August and September. The first monsoon shower is planting time. Plants raised from seed start bearing two years after planting. Vegetative propagation is practiced in the form of budding and inarching. Cuttings may also succeed. Flowering starts in March and in Northern India the fruit ripens from July to September. [1]
Isolation of many terpenoids has been reported. [4] In particular mixture of sesquiterpenes namely carissone [5] and carindone as a novel type of C31 terpenoid have been reported. [6] Another ingredient is pentacyclic triterpenoid carissin. [7]
Carissa carandas is rich in iron, [8] vitamin C, [8] vitamins A, [9] calcium [9] and phosphorus. [9] Its fruit is used in the ancient Indian herbal system of medicine, Ayurvedic, to treat acidity, indigestion, fresh and infected wounds, skin diseases, urinary disorders and diabetic ulcer, [8] as well as biliousness, stomach pain, constipation, anemia, skin conditions, anorexia and insanity. [9] Leaf decoction is used to treat fever, diarrhea, and earache. [9] The roots serve as a stomachic, an anthelmintic medicine for itches and also as insect repellents. [9]
In India, the mature fruit is harvested for Indian pickles. It contains pectin and accordingly is a useful ingredient in chutney. Ripe fruits exude a white latex when severed from the branch.
The biggest use of this fruit is as a faux cherry in cakes, puddings and other preparations. It is easily available in the market in bottled form as pitted cherries after processing it like traditional candied murabba.
Colonial British in India also made jelly, jams and syrups from it. [10]
It was used in the Great Hedge of India (1803-1879 CE) because it is easy to grow, drought resistant, is a sturdy shrub that grows in a variety of soils, and also ideal for hedges as it grows rapidly, densely and needs little attention. [10]
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. M. indica has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times resulting in two types of modern mango cultivars: the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type". Other species in the genus Mangifera also produce edible fruits that are also called "mangoes", the majority of which are found in the Malesian ecoregion.
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Carissa is a genus of shrubs or small trees native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia and Asia. Until recently about 100 species were listed, but most of them have been relegated to the status of synonyms or assigned to other genera, such as Acokanthera.
Annona squamosa is a small, well-branched tree or shrub from the family Annonaceae that bears edible fruits called sugar apples or sweetsops. It tolerates a tropical lowland climate better than its relatives Annona reticulata and Annona cherimola helping make it the most widely cultivated of these species. Annona squamosa is a small, semi-(or late) deciduous, much-branched shrub or small tree 3 to 8 metres tall similar to soursop. It is a native of tropical climate in the Americas and West Indies, and Spanish traders aboard the Manila galleons docking in the Philippines brought it to Asia.
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Aegle marmelos, commonly known as bael, also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal as a naturalized species. The tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus and Buddhists.
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Carissa spinarum, the conkerberry or bush plum, is a large shrub of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), widely distributed in tropical regions of Africa, Southern Asia, Australia, and various islands of the Indian Ocean. It is most well known in Australia, where it is also called currant bush or, more ambiguously, native currant or even black currant. It is, however, neither closely related to plums (Prunus) nor to true currants (Ribes), which belong to entirely different lineages of eudicots. In India, it is also called wild karanda/wild karavanda, referring to the related karanda. Carissa spinarum is often discussed under its many obsolete synonyms.
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