Dillenia indica L.

Tree

Dillenia species trees. Leaves simple, large, alternate or spirally arranged, petioles channeled above, exstipulate or stipulate. Flowers solitary or clusters in terminal racemes, bracts, bracteoles caducous when present, Calyx 5 toothed, spreading, enlarged and fleshy in fruit. Corolla 5 lobed, white or yellow, usually larger than sepals, caducous. Stamens free, numerous, filaments cylindric, anthers linear with parallel loculi, Carpels 5-20, borne on a conical receptacle, radiating styles, ovules 4-80. Fruits indehiscent pseudocarps, enclosed by enlarged thick sepals, seeds exarillate.

Flowering: June-August. Fruiting: December-April

Fl.& Fr.: May – February

Flowering :June to August and fruiting :December - April

Seeds

Dillenia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: May-August/September-February.

Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Perennial

Perennial

It is an evergreen large shrub or small to medium-sized tree growing up to 15 m tall. The leaves are about 15-36 cm long, with a conspicuously corrugated surface with impressed veins. The flowers are large, about 15-20 cm in diameter, with five white petals and numerous yellow stamens. Its characteristic round fruits are large, greenish yellow, have many seeds. The fruit is a 5-12 cm diameter aggregate of 15 carpels, each carpel containing five seeds embedded in a fibrous pulp

An evergreen tree upto 20 mts in height. Branches generally ascending, often fluted at the base and branchlets marked with v shaped leafscars. Leaves 14 - 30 cm by 7 - 12 cm. Flowers are generally white, sepals broadly ovate, concave & pale green

Trees, ca 20m; buttressed at base. Leaves 15-405-12cm, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic to oblanceolate, base attenuate, apex acute to acuminate, margin serrate-dentate, glabrous above, strigose on nerves beneath; lateral nerves 30-50 pairs, prominent beneath; petioles 2.5-7.5 cm. Flowers 15-20cm across.

Trees about 30-70 ft tall and girth of about 2-4 ft, often fluted and buttressed at the base. Bark reddish brown, smooth, when peeled off into thin hard scales or fragile flakes reddish brown inside with fine deep red lines, branches appressed, silky and hairy. Leaves oblanceolate-elliptic or narrow elliptic, 16-40 x 5-15 cm across, more or less V shaped in transverse section, base acute or cuneate, margins sub entire or serrate-dentate, apex acute, chartaceous, strigose mainly on the veins beneath, lateral veins 35-55 on either side of the midrib, ascending obscure, impressed above, more prominent on the midrib and prominent on the veins beneath, glabrescent when mature beneath, petioles stout, wider at the base, canaliculated, about 2.5-8 cm long. Flowers solitary near the shoots of older branches, white or creamish, about 15 x 20 cm across, pedicels thick, silky hairy, about 3-8 cm long, bracts, lanceolate, about 5 mm long, Calyx 5 toothed, sepals ovate, elliptic, apex obtuse or acute, about 4-6 x 3-5 mm across, Corolla 5 lobed, petals obovate, yellow, apex obtuse or rounded, about 7-9 x 5-6 cm across, Stamens free, numerous, outer stamens inwardly curved, about 13-15 mm long, inner stamens outwardly curved, about 20-22 mm long, anthers linear. Carpels 14-20, around the conical receptacle, with 40-80 ovules on adaxial double placentas, styles flattened, linear lanceolate or oblanceolate, about 20-25 mm long, Fruits pseudocarps indehiscent, enclosed by enlarged thickened sepals, about 10-12 cm in diameter, subglobose, yellowish green when ripe. Fruiting carpels, about 4-2 cm across, with 5 seeded, seeds reniform, compressed, about 6 x 4 mm across, reddish brown to black, echinate and with hairs along the margin.

Occaisionally found

Susceptible to insect pests and moulds.

Notes: Western Ghats, Deciduous Forests, Cultivated in Plains

Damp places, around swamps

Naturally occur in damp places near swamps and river banks

Tropical and subtropical evergreen forests altitude up to 2500 ft.

Common

Threats recoded

It is found growing wild in the tropical forest

Fruits (Fleshy calyx) are eaten raw as well as cooked. It is cooked with fish called 'Mashor tenga” a famous local delicacy enjoyed by every household in Assam. Also prepared with Dal or pulses during hot season. Pickles, Jam etc. are also prepared from it. Mucilage found in the fruit is used to wash hair as shampoo and considered good for hair growth

Nutritional Value

Energy 59 kcal; Protein 0.08gm; total fat 0.02 gm; dietary fibre 0.021 gm; ash 0.35 mg; calcium 16 mg; phosphorus 26 mg & vitamin C 4 mg, per 100gm

Fleshy calyx eaten raw as well as cooked as vegetable suited with fish, pulses and root vegetable; pickles, Jam etc. are also prepared from it. Mucilage found in the fruit is used to wash hair as shampoo and considered good for hair growth

Fruits are edible, used as laxative, tonic, as substitute for tamarind in Indian cuisines, for making jams and jellies. Flowers are used as vegetable. Used as medicine.

Considered to have anti-dandruff and anti-hair fall properties. Local tribes used the plant (Fruit, leafs, roots & mucilage) in number of ways such as combating weakness, fever, dysentery, wounds of burns etc. In Ayurveda, it is believed to have aphrodisiac properties promoting virility