Canthium parviflorum

Roxb.

RubiaceaeFruitLeavesShoots

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Stems, Fruit

The fruit are eaten peeled, as the skin has a sour taste, and are also used in pickles and curries. The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It will grow on most soils. It is best in a wet soil and a pH of 7.

Asia, Cambodia, India, Indochina, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sri Lanka,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A small tree. It is 4-10 m high. It has long straight spines. The leaves are broadly oval. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are small and yellow.

How to Grow

It can be used as a hedge plant.

Production

It is slow growing.

Notes

There are about 200 Canthium species. Canthium parvifolium Roxb. is a legitimate name and Canthium parviflorum Lam. is a synonoym of Canthium coromandelicum (Burm. f) Alston.

Names & Synonyms

Balusaku, Balusu, Chak kralik, Kaara keerai, Kaarai palam, Kadbar, Kar, Karai, Katbor, Kirma, Kirni, Kodhab, Periyakarai

References (20)

Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 102
Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 81
Davis, S.D., Heywood, V.H., & Hamilton, A.C. (eds), 1994, Centres of plant Diversity. WWF. Vol 1 or 2. p 117
Dobriyal, M. J. R. & Dobriyal, R., 2014, Non Wood Forest Produce an Option for Ethnic Food and Nutritional Security in India. Int. J. of Usuf. Mngt. 15(1):17-37
Encycl. 1:602. 1785 (As Lam.)
Harisha, R. P. & Padmavathy, S., 2013, Knowledge and Use of Wild Edible Plants in Two Communities in Malai Madeshwara Hills, Southern India. International Journal of Botany 9(2): 64-72.
Kannan, M., et al, 2015, Ethnobotanical survey on wild edible plants of Kalrayan Hills, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India. Global J. Res. Med Plants & Indigen. med. 4(12): 236-246
Karthi, Sathya, & Salome, 2014, Uncultivated Edible Greens from Small Millet Farms Tamil Nadu India. IDRC
Kiran, K. C., et al, 2019, Diversity and Seasonal Availability of Potential Wild Edible Plants from Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra State, India. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(2): 1434-1446
Pradhan, R., et al, 2020, Potential Wild Edible Plants and its Significance in Livelihood of Indigenous People of Male Mahadeshwara Hills, Karnataka. Economic Affairs Vol. 64, No. 4 pp. 01-14
Rajasab, A. H. et al, 2004, Documentation of folk knowledge on edible wild plants of North Karnataka. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol 3(4) pp 419-429
Rajkalkshmi, P. et al, 2001, Total carotenoid and beta-carotene contents of forest green leafy vegetables consumed by tribals of south India. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 56:225-238
Rao, M. L. S., et al, 2014, Indigenous Plant Foods which are commonly consumed by the tribal communities in Dumbriguda Area of Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Biolife. Vol 2, Issue 3
Reddy, K. N. et al, 2007, Traditional knowledge on wild food plants in Andhra Pradesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol. 6(1): 223-229
Sarvalingam, A., et al, 2014, Wild edible plant resources used by the Irulas of the Maruthamalai Hills, Southern Western Ghats, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources 5(2):198-201
Singh, H.B., Arora R.K.,1978, Wild edible Plants of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p18, 53
Tamil herbs, 2007, Edible Plants of the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest.
WATT,
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