Ber Fruit

Ber or Zezyphus sativa ia a native of the Indian subcontinent. It is found in the tropical south as well as in the arid regions of Rajasthan. In December and January, the trees become laden with ripe fruit, inviting birds and small mammals. The dried fruit is preserved and eaten to alleviate sun stroke and thirst.
The name Ber comes from the Sanskrit Badari. Ber trees were believed to have been growing in the region of Badrinath, high up in the Himalayas. For the Hindus, this thorny tree is lovable.

Thetree has many uses- farmers use the thorny branches to keep out atray cattle from their fields. The wood is hard, and is used to make agricultural implements.

Now we see ber fruit the size of small apples- the result of hibridization.

A very tasty sweet and sour pickle is made from the fruit.

The Nutritious Mandu ki Imli

Mandu in the Malva region of Madhya Pradesh has many unusual plants. One of them is the Mandu-ki- Imli tree which is better known as Baobab tree. The Baobab tree must have been brought to this region from Africa in antiquity, as it is not a native of India. People of the region have made good use of the highly nutritious fruit of the tree, which is locally known as Mandu ki Imli tree. The dried fruit contains seeds covered in fibrous material, which are sour to taste. They are said to contain more vitamin C than oranges.

Most of the baobab trees are huge- and some are said to be 500 years old. During the dry season, the trees store water in their trunks. The leaves of the tree are also used as a green vegetable.

This picture of the baobab tree is from Wikipedia.

Bracket fungus

I found this bracket fungus growing from the base of a Jacaranda tree. The unusual thing was , it has a plantlet growing from it. The little plantlet seemed to be the seedling of a native plant . It was quite well entrenched in the bracket.

Bracket fungi grow on trees or deadwood in the form of brackets or shelves. Some varieties eventually kill the tree. The well known Beefsteak fungus is also a Bracket fungus.

Crepe Ginger

The Crepe Ginger Costus speciosus is not a ginger at all, but a relative of the ginger family. It is a native of the forests of the Western Ghats. I found these specimens flowering in the rain-soaked forest adjoining IIT Bombay.
The crepe like part is not petals, but is the stamen of the rather insignificant flowers hidden. The plant has a curious habit of spiralling, which you can see in the picture above. When the white 'crepes' have fallen, the plant still has attractive red cones.

Like all native Indian plants, Costus speciosus is also used extensively in Ayurveda, to treat a number of diseases.

Kanak Champa

The Kanak Champa Pterospermum acerifolium is a big tree with fragrant flowers. The tree is also known as the 'Dinner Plate tree' , because of its big round leaves, which are woven into dinner plates in some parts of India. The flowers fall after a day. They look like peeled bananas.
The timber of this tree is used to make planks. The bark is used in traditional medicine. The tree grows to an immense size, resembling the teak tree. It is found in the deciduous forests of the Western Ghats and Central India.

Blue Tiger

The butterfly Blue Tiger Tirumala limniace has started appearing in gardens now.Here, it is resting on the plant of Black Nightshade Solanum negrum which grows wild in unexpected corners of my garden. I like the tiny black fruit of the plant, which is said to be a good antioxidant. The leaves and fruit of this plant are widely used in Ayurveda, the Indian medicine system. The fruit has culinary uses too. It is called Ganike in Kannada.

The plant is used in Chinese medicine to prevent cervical cancer.

Melastoma malabathricum

The 'Malabar Rhododendron Melastoma malabathricum grows in the wild in India. It has attractive large pink flowers which last only a day. The name Melastoma came from the Latin meaning 'black mouth', because children who eat its fruit have their mouths stained black.

It is called Nekkarike in Kannada, and the leaves are used to cure dysentry and piles.

The plant is a host for the Sailor butterfly.

A very important quality of the plant is that it sequesters aluminium which contaminates the soil near aluminium mines.