Canthium coromandelicum
(Burm.f.) Alston
Wild jessamine, Carray cheddie
(c) J.M.Garg, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) J.M.Garg, some rights reserved (CC BY)
(c) J.M.Garg, some rights reserved (CC BY)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves
Leaves - raw or cooked. They are eaten in salads and also used as a vegetable. Regular consumption of the leaves has been shown to significantly reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry forests. It grows up to 750 or 1,000 m above sea level.
Asia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Sri Lanka,
How to Identify
A shrub. It grows 5 m tall. It has thorns. The small branches are 4 angled. The bark is grey. The spines are 1-3 cm long. The leaves are opposite and the bases overlap. The leaves are oval and 2-4 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The flowers are greenish. The fruit are 1-1.5 cm across. They are a flattened round shape and yellow or orange when ripe.
How to Grow
Plants are used as a hedge.
Medicinal Uses
Canthium coromandelicum is a commonly used medicinal herb in India, where it is considered to be a general tonic for the whole body. Specifically, it is said to control high blood pressure, reduce unwanted fats in the body, and purify the circulatory system. It is used in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, fevers, indigestion, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, dysuria, impotence, decreased sperm count, and in renal calculi. The roots, combined with milk, are a traditional medicine for treating snake bites. The leaves are anthelmintic, antioxidant and diuretic. Taken at regular intervals, they are used to treat intestinal worms in children. Applied externally, the tender leaves are boiled and tied on the infected part in order to remove thorns that have got into the skin. A decoction of the leaves is used to help wound healing and to treat skin problems, including scabies and the ring worm infection.. The roots and leaves are astringent, cholagogue and diuretic. They are used in vitiated conditions of Kapha, and to treat diarrhoea, strangury, fever, leucorrhoea, intestinal worms, and general debility. The bark, combined with turmeric and lime, is made into a paste and applied on the forehead to cure headache. The fruits are astringent, cholagogue, strengthening and an expellant of phlegm and bile. They are given at regular intervals in order to treat intestinal worms in children.
Other Uses
The branches are used for fencing. The grrey wood is hard and close-grained. It is used in turning.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Canthium coromandelicum, also known as Karai, is a bushy thorny suffruticose herb, a native of India found mainly in the Coromandel region.
Production
In southern India it flowers and fruits between April to June.
Names & Synonyms
Babu jamal, Bahibali, Bellakarai, Kara, Karai, Karbit, Karemullu, Kari kaare-gida, Karkate, Katbor, Kattakara, Kayili, Kolhapur, Nandre, Ollepode, Totadi
References (10)
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- Ashton, M. S., et al 1997, A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka. WHT Publications Ltd. pdf p 327
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- 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
- Misra, S., 2020, Survey of edible plants for human consumption in south Odisha, India. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) Vol. 7, Issue 12 p 278
- Rasingam, L., 2012, Ethnobotanical studies on the wild edible plants of Irula tribes of Pillur Valley, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. (2012) S1493-S1497
- Ravikrishna, S., 2011, Ethno-medico-botanical survey on Wild Edible fruits of Udupi Taluq, Udupi p 63
- Reddy, B. M., 2012, Wild edible plants of Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, India. Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources. 3(1) pp 110-117 (As Canthium parviflorum Lamk.)
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- Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 603
