Mimusops elengi L. (SAPOTACEAE)
Common names
Kannada: Bakula, Renje.
Tulu: Renje.
Malayalam: Elengi, Ilanni.
Sanskrit: Bakula.
Tamil: Magilan, Ilanji.
Telugu: Pagada, Vakulamu.
Description: Large evergreen trees, 20-30 m tall with smooth scaly bark. Leaves alternate, elliptic, elliptic-oblong, 5-12 x 3-6 cm, acute or rounded at base, shortly acuminate at apex, glabrous; petioles 1-2.5 cm long. Flowers solitary or in axillary clusters, white, fragrant. Calyx lobes 8, 4 outer ovate-lanceolate, 4 inner narrower. Corolla-tube short, lobes about 24, in 2 series, the inner series of 8, the outer of 16 lobes, white. There are 8 stamens alternating with 8 staminodes, each with short filaments. The ovary is 8-locular, with a short style and an inconspicuous stigma. The fruit is a yellow, ovoid, or elliptic berry, measuring approximately 3 x 2 cm when ripe. It contains a solitary, shining, brown seed.
Flowering & Fruiting : January – September.
Distribution: India: Common from coastal plains to semi-evergreen forests, up to 920 m. Sri Lanka, Malaya.
Uses:
- The edible fruits also yield oil, which is utilized for both edible and lighting purposes. Wood reddish or brownish white, very hard, used for building purposes, piles, bridges, carts, agricultural implements, boats, oars, masts, spars, rice pounders, crushers, oil mills, furniture, cabinet work, panels, tools, turnery, picture-frames, musical instruments and walking-sticks. A perfume is distilled from the fragrant flowers. Often planted as an ornamental tree. Also grown as an avenue or shade tree. The fragrant flowers are used for making garlands and perfume is distilled from them.
- Bark used as tonic, febrifuge; leaf antidote for snakebite; flower expectorant, used in constipation, smoked in asthma; pulp of ripe fruit used in diarrhoea and dysentery; lotion from unripe fruits and flowers used for smearing on sores and wounds; bark and pulp of ripe fruit astringent; seed purgative; bark and seed coat used for strengthening gum and enter into the composition of various herbal tooth powder, under the name of “Vajradanthi” where they may be used along with tannin containing substances like catechu (Acacia catechu (L. f.) Willd.), pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) bark etc. The important preparations of Mimusops is ‘bakuladya taila’ applied to gum and teeth for strengthening them.