Phyllanthus emblica

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Phyllanthus emblica
Phyllanthus officinalis.jpg
Plant
Phyllanthus emblica - whole and cross section.jpg
Fruit, whole and halved
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Phyllanthaceae
Genus: Phyllanthus
Species:
P. emblica
Binomial name
Phyllanthus emblica
Synonyms [3] [4]
  • Cicca emblica(L.) Kurz
  • Diasperus emblica(L.) Kuntze
  • Dichelactina nodicaulisHance
  • Emblica arboreaRaf.
  • Emblica officinalisGaertn.
  • Phyllanthus glomeratusRoxb. ex Wall. nom. inval.
  • Phyllanthus maireiH.Lév.
  • Phyllanthus mimosifoliusSalisb.
  • Phyllanthus taxifoliusD.Don

Phyllanthus emblica, also known as emblic, [2] [5] emblic myrobalan, [2] myrobalan, [5] Indian gooseberry, [2] [5] Malacca tree, [5] or amla, [5] from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Asia. [4]

Description

The tree is small to medium in size, reaching 1–8 metres (3+12–26 feet) in height. The bark is mottled. The branchlets are finely pubescent (not glabrous), 10–20 centimetres (4–8 inches) long, usually deciduous. The leaves are simple, subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish–yellow. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish–yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows. The fruit is up to 26 millimetres (1 in) in diameter, and, while the fruit of wild plants weigh approximately 5.5 grams (0.2 ounces), cultivated fruits average 28.4 g (1 oz) to 56 g (2 oz). [6]

Chemical constituents

The fruits contain high amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), [7] and have a bitter taste that may derive from a high density of ellagitannins, [8] such as emblicanin A (37%), emblicanin B (33%), punigluconin (12%), and pedunculagin (14%). [9] Amla also contains punicafolin and phyllanemblinin A, phyllanemblin other polyphenols, such as flavonoids, kaempferol, ellagic acid, and gallic acid. [8] [10]

Uses

Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits. The taste of Indian emblic is sour, bitter and astringent, and it is quite fibrous.

Culinary

The amla fruit may be eaten raw or cooked, and in South Asia, the fruit is often pickled with salt, oil, and spices. It is used as an ingredient in dishes including dal (a lentil preparation), and is also made into amle ka murabbah , a sweet dish made by soaking the berries in sugar syrup until they are candied. It is traditionally consumed after meals.[ citation needed ]

In the Batak area of Sumatra, Indonesia, the inner bark is used to impart an astringent, bitter taste to the broth of a traditional fish soup known as holat. [11]

Traditional medicine

In Ayurveda, dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used as a common constituent. [8] [12]

In culture

In the Buddhist tradition there are many references to the fruit of the emblic myrobalan. In the Śatapañcāśatka, Buddha's knowledge is described in a poetic simile: "O Bhagavan, the entire origination of all types of phenomena throughout time is within the range of your mind, like an ambalan fruit in the palm of your hand". [13]

Half an amla fruit was the final gift to the Buddhist sangha by the great Indian emperor Ashoka. This is illustrated in the Ashokavadana in the following verses: "A great donor, the lord of men, the eminent Maurya Ashoka, has gone from being lord of Jambudvipa [the continent] to being lord of half a myrobalan". [14] In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi, by the twenty first Buddha, named Phussa Buddha. [15]

In Hinduism, the myrobalan, called the āmalaka in Sanskrit, is sacred to all three members of the Trimurti, the Hindu supreme trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. According to legend, during a religious gathering, Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort, expressed a desire to worship Shiva, while Parvati, Shiva's consort, wished to worship Vishnu. Moved by each other's piety, they shed tears upon the earth, from which emerged the first myrobalan trees. [16] The Amalaka Ekadashi is a Hindu occasion dedicated to Vishnu, venerating the myrobalan.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Phyllanthus acidus</i> Berry and plant

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<i>Terminalia bellirica</i> Species of flowering plant

Terminalia bellirica, known as baheda, bahera, behada, beleric or bastard myrobalan, Persian بلیله (Balileh), Sanskrit: Vibhītaka बिभीतक, Aksha अक्ष) is a large deciduous tree in the Combretaceae family. It is common on the plains and lower hills in South and Southeast Asia, where it is also grown as an avenue tree. The basionym is Myrobalanus bellirica Gaertn.. William Roxburgh transferred M. bellirica to Terminalia as "T. bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb.". This spelling error is now widely used, causing confusion. The correct name is Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astringent</span> Chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred tree</span> Tree which a community deems to hold religious significance

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<i>Terminalia chebula</i> Species of flowering plant

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leucodelphinidin</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punigluconin</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedunculagin</span> Chemical compound

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalaka</span> Stone disk on the top of a Hindu temples main tower

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalaka Ekadashi</span> Hindu holy day

Amalaka Ekadashi or Amalaki Ekadashi is a Hindu holy day, celebrated on the 11th day (ekadashi) of the waxing moon, in the lunar month of Phalguna (February–March). It is a celebration of the amalaka or amla tree, known as the Indian gooseberry.

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References

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  12. Indian Ministry of Health and Family Planning. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India. Part I. 1st ed. Delhi, 1978.
  13. Chen, K. (1952). The Śatapañcāśatka of Mātrceta: Sanskrit Text, Tibetan translation and commentary, and Chinese translation. Edited by D. R. Shackleton Bailey, with an introduction, English translation and notes. Cambridge: The University Press, 1951. xi, 237 p. The Far Eastern Quarterly, 11(3), 408–410. doi : 10.2307/2049590.
  14. Strong, J. S. (1983) The Legend of King Ashoka. New York: Princeton University Press. p. 99.
  15. Buddha: His Life, His Teachings, His Order: Together with the History of the Buddhism, Manmatha Nath Dutt, Society for the resuscitation of Indian literature, 1901, p. 3
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