Sorbus lanata
(D. Don) Schauer
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, though for raw eating it is usually bletted first. Bletting involves storing the fruit in a cool, dry place until it has nearly but not quite turned rotten — at that point it develops a delicious flavour reminiscent of a luscious tropical fruit. Each fruit measures about 1.2–3cm across, and they are borne in bunches that make harvesting easier.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. In Nepal they grow between 2200-3400 m altitude.
Afghanistan, Asia, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan,
How to Identify
A medium sized tree. It grows 9 m tall. The leaves have stalks. The leaves are 5-19 cm long by 3-11.5 cm wide. They are oval and with irregular teeth. They are greyish white underneath. They narrow towards the base. The base is wedge shaped. The flowers are white and have a scent. The flowers occur in clusters. The fruit is yellow when ripe. They are edible.
How to Grow
Plants are grown from seed.
Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, though with sufficient quantity it can go directly into an outdoor seedbed. Stored seed benefits from 2 weeks of warm stratification followed by 14–16 weeks of cold stratification, so sow as early in the year as possible. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle. Top-growth is very slow in the first year or two as the plants focus on root development, so keep them in a cold frame through their first winter before planting out into permanent positions in late spring.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
The wood is moderately hard, close and even grained, and seasons well.
Wikipedia
Source ↗A deciduous tree reaching 10m tall at a medium growth rate, hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers in May. Hermaphroditic and insect-pollinated. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage; tolerates mildly acid to mildly alkaline pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist soil, and handles strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Notes
There are about 75 Sorbus species.
Names & Synonyms
Ban pala, Banpalti, Bhomphal, Bolu, Chitana, Doda, Galao, Galion, Gurtu, Maila, Mauli, Mhelcha, Morphal, Nalam, Pahi, Paltu, Singka
References (14)
- Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1405
- Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 586
- Jabeen, A., et al, 2009, Indigenous uses of economically important flora of Margallah Hills National Park, Islamabad, Pakistan. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 8 (5), pp. 763-784
- Khan, D. & Shaukat, S.S., 2006, The Fruits of Pakistan: Diversity, Distribution, Trends of Production and Use. Int. J. Biol. Biotech., 3(3):463-499
- Manandhar, N.P., 2002, Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. p 435
- Masoodi, H. U. R. & Sundriyal, R. C., 2020, Richness of non-timber forest products in Himalayan communities—diversity, distribution, use pattern and conservation status. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 16:56
- Negi, P. S. & Subramani, S. P., 2015, Wild Edible Plant Genetic Resources for Sustainable Food Security and Livelihood of Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India, International Journal of Conservation Science. 6 (4): 657-668
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Polunin, O., & Stainton, A., 2006, Flowers of the Himalaya, Oxford India Paperbacks. p 122
- Singh, V. B., et al, (Ed.) Horticulture for Sustainable Income and Environmental Protection. Vol. 1 p 220
- Uebers. Arbeiten Verand. Schles. Ges. Valerl. Cult. 1847:292. 1848
- Upreti, K., et al, 2010, Diversity and Distribution of Wild Edible Fruit Plants of Uttarakhand. Bioversity Potentials of the Himalaya. p 188
- Wild edible plants of Himachal Pradesh
- www.Efloras.org Annotated checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal.
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