Grewia sapida
Roxb. ex DC.
gbif· cc-by
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
Description
A small shrub. It grows 1-1.5 m tall. It has a woody underground stem. It puts up annual shoots. The young shoots have hair. The leaves are 3-7 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. Flowers are in groups of 3. The fruit is round and has 4 small lobes.
Edible Uses
The ripe fruit are eaten raw or used for juice drinks.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are used for juice drinks. The ripe fruit are eaten raw.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Grewia species are valued in many cultures for their medicinal virtues. The main medicinal action appears to come from the mucilage that is found in the leaves, stems and roots, which has been shown to have soothing and healing properties. Taken internally it is often used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery, for example, whilst externally it is applied to wounds, cuts, ulcers, irritations etc. The plant can be taken as a simple infusion or decoction, or it can be applied topically as a poultice of the plant, or the mucilage can be extracted from the plant, if required, by maceration and then decoction. . The plant (part not specified) is used in the treatment of ulcerated tongue, colic, wounds, cholera and dysentery.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. In Pakistan it grows between 300-1,300 m altitude.
Where It Grows
Asia, Bangladesh, Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pakistan, SE Asia, Sikkim,
Propagation
Seed - we have no specific information for this species but seed of this genus is generally best sown as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!), allowing the mix to cool somewhat and then leaving it in a warm place to soak for 12 - 24 hours. Sow the seeds in situ or in a nursery seedbed or trays - do not allow the compost to become dry. Germination and early growth are usually quite quick. Cuttings - best taken with a heel.
Other Uses
A fibre obtaind from the stems is used to make rope.
Production
In NE India plants flower and fruit March to May.
Notes
There are about 200 Grewia species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit of most may be edible. These were in the Sparrmanniaceae and the Tiliaceae.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Barsha pakar, Bong der so, Bhumbhur fursa, Burso, Chuhura, Farsa, Kuail, Phalsatenga, Pharsa, Pharsia, Phorsa, Phuhura, Pichondi, Prang-mahkaw, Pumi aye, Thaura-guti, Thouraguti
References (20)
- Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 249
- Bohra, N., et al, 2017, Ethnobotany of wild edible plants traditionally used by the local people in the Ramnagar regions from Nainital District, Uttarakhand, India. Biolife 5(1): 12-19
- Chakraborty, S. & Chaturbedi, H. P., 2014, Some Wild Edible Fruits of Tripura- A Survey. Indian Journal of Applied research. (4) 9
- Dangol, D. R., 2002, Economic uses of forest plant resources in western Chitwan, Nepal. Banko Janakari, 12(2): 56-64 (As Grewia pumila)
- Dangol, D. R. et al, 2017, Wild Edible Plants in Nepal. Proceedings of 2nd National Workshop on CUAOGR, 2017.
Show all 20 references Hide references
- Dey, A. & Mukhererjee, A., 2015, Living and Survival Amidst Hunger: Wild Edible Botanicals as a Prime Forest Productivity in the Rural Purulia District, West Bengal, India from Colonial to Present. Research Journal of Forestry 9(3): 71-86
- 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
- Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org
- Gautam, R. S., et al, 2020, Wild Edible Fruits of Nepal. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(3): 289-304
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 334
- Jeeva, S., 2009, Horticultural potential of wild edible fruits used by the Khasi tribes of Meghalaya. Journal or Horticulture and Forestry Vol. 1(9) pp. 182-192
- Majumdar, K and Datta, N., 2009, Traditional wild edible fruits for the forest dwellers of Tripura, India. Pleione 3(2) 167-178
- Misra S. & Misra M., 2016, Ethnobotanical and Nutritional Evaluation of Some Edible Fruit Plants of Southern Odisha, India. International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology, Vol.3 Issue.1, March- 2016, pg. 1-30
- Pasha, M. K. & Uddin, S. B., 2019, Minor Edible Fruits of Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 26(2): 299–313
- Patiri, B. & Borah, A., 2007, Wild Edible Plants of Assam. Geethaki Publishers. p 18
- Pegu, R., et al, 2013, Ethnobotanical study of Wild Edible Plants in Poba Reserved Forest, Assam, India. Research Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences 1(3):1-10
- Sawian, J. T., et al, 2007, Wild edible plants of Meghalaya, North-east India. Natural Product Radiance Vol. 6(5): p 418
- Singh, H.B., Arora R.K.,1978, Wild edible Plants of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p 62
- Sundriyal, M., et al, 1998, Wild edibles and other useful plants from the Sikkim Himalaya, India. Oecologia Montana 7:43-54
- Sundriyal, M., et al, 2004, Dietary Use of Wild Plant Resources in the Sikkim Himalaya, India. Economic Botany 58(4) pp 626-638
