Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch.

Tree

Flacourtia species are shrubs or trees, armed with simple and branched spines, branches with sympodial growth. Leaves simple, alternate, lanceolate-ovate to elliptic-oblong, margin entire, serrate-dentate to pinnately veined, sometimes 3-5 pliveined at the base, apex acute to acuminate, lateral veins upcurved, thicker near the midrib and diminishing towards the margins, petiolate, stipules minute early caducous or absent. Inflorescence in shortly pedunculate axillary and terminal raceme fascicles, few to many flowers. Flowers unisexual (dioecious) or sometimes bisexual, hypogynous, pedicels articulate, bracts ovate, chartaceous, scalelike, sepals 4-7, imbricate, connate near base, free above, margin ciliate, subpersistent, petals absent, extrastaminal disc, with distinct glands inserted before sepals. Male flowers: Stamens 15-30, filaments filiform, inserted on disk cup, persistent, anthers 2 loculed, globular, dorsifixed, pollen fleshy, tricolporate, reticulate, pistillode absent. Female flowers: Ovary superior, globose, surrounded by disc, carpels 3-10, incompletely loculed, connate, with intruding placentae, ovules often 2 per locule, style connate, free or rarely absent, stigma shortly bilobed or retuse. Fruit indehiscent berry or drupe, ellipsoid-globose when ripe becoming obtusely constricted and ribbed when dried with 2 superposed pyrenes in per locule. Seeds 1-2, ovoid-obovoid, thinly coriaceous, non arillate, cotyledons orbicular.

Flowering: March-April. Fruiting: August-October

Flowering occur in March - April. Fruit ripen during November and January

Flacourtia species dioecious, i.e., male (staminate) flowers on one plant, and female (pistillate) flowers on another plant, or sometimes complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: March-May/August-October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

A small evergreen tree or shrub bearing compound spines on the trunk up to about middle edges. It produces small white to green fragrant flowers which occurs on lateral shoots. Fruits are globose in shape and it turns dark purple when ripe. It is covered by persistent stigmas

A small evergreen tree bearing compound spines on the trunk upto about middle edge. Flowers occur on lateral shoots. Male and female flowers are different and small. Fruits globose, dark purple when ripe. It is covered by persistent stigmas

Leaves 5-10´5cm, ovate-lanceolate, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margins serrate, glabrous above, puberulent beneath; 3-5 veined at base; petioles 4-7 mm, puberulent.

Deciduous shrubs or small trees, about 6-12 m tall. Bark reddish brown to light brown, flaky, armed with simple and branched spines when young, becoming less armed with age, branches with sympodial growth, young branchlets and shoots minutely puberulent. Leaves simple, alternate, variable, lanceolate-ovate, obovate-oblong, about 5-11 x 3-5 cm across, base cuneate to obtuse, sometimes 3-5 pliveined, margin lobed to coarsely serrate-crenate, apex acute, obtuse to sometimes slightly emarginate, leaves often clustered towards apices, lateral veins 4-7 on either side of the midrib, impressed above and slightly prominent beneath, glabrous above, glabrous beneath or pubescent to softly tomentose on the midrib beneath, thicker near the midrib and diminishing towards the margins, thin, chartaceous, shiny, petiole reddish, minutely puberulent, about 4-8 mm long, stipules minute early caducous or absent. Inflorescence in shortly pedunculate axillary and terminal raceme fascicles or corymbose, bracteate, few flowered. Flowers unisexual (dioecious), hypogynous, greenish white, about 5-6 mm across, pedicels articulate, slender, glabrous or sparsely hairy, about 5-10 mm long, sepals 4-5, imbricate, connate near base, broadly ovate, margin ciliate, apex obtuse, densely hairy inside, minutely hairy outside, petals absent, extrastaminal disc, with distinct glands inserted before sepals. Male flowers: Stamens numerous, filaments filiform, glabrous, anthers 2 loculed, versatile, globular, dorsifixed, pollen fleshy, tricolporate, reticulate, pistillode absent. Female flowers: Ovary superior, sub-globose or flask shaped, surrounded by disc, carpels 3-6, incompletely loculed, connate, with intruding placentae, style 4-6, distinctly connate to form solid beak in fruits, stigma slightly recurved, shortly bilobed. Fruit indehiscent berry, sub-globose, about 15-50 mm across, when ripe first red and turning to blackish purple, with 2 superposed pyrenes in per locule. Seeds 4-6, ovoid-obovoid, thinly coriaceous, non arillate.

Flacourtia species are susceptible to various insect pests, powdery mildews and moulds.

Notes: Western Ghats. Cultivated.

Swamp forest, cultivated

Near forest margins and semi wild regions of Brahmaputra Valley.

Common

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Threats recoded

It is found growing wild in the tropical forest

The fruits are acidic and are eaten raw or cooked as jam

Nutritional Value

Energy 94 kcal; carbohydrate 24.2 gm; protein 0.5 gm; total fat 0.6gm; dietary fibres 1.2 gm; vitamin C 5mg; niacin 0.4 mg; thiamine 0.01 mg; riboflavin 0.02 mg; potassium 171mg; calcium 33mg; phosphorus 17mg & iron 0.7mg, per 100gm

Ripe fruits ,which are acidic, are eaten raw. When ripe, fruits pressed with thumb for a minute reduces toughness

Fruits are edible, and also used for making jellies.

Considered to have antibacterial properties. The barks are also used in traditional medicines for curing stomach ailments (bowel movements). The fruit and leaves are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and roots are also used for treatment of tootache by local people