Grewia abutilifolia
Vent. ex Juss.
Ts'o to
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Description
A shrub. It grows 2-5 m high. The leaves are 7-20 cm long by 5-12 cm wide. They are slightly hairy. There are fine teeth. The flowers are in upright clusters. There are 3-7 in the axils of leaves. The fruit have 2 to 4 lobes.
Edible Uses
The fruit are eaten raw.
Traditional Uses
The 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 roots ingredient with water use to relieve the favour. Not at all sure what this means - possibly a drink is made to relieve thirst or some medical condition. The roots are used as a treatment for abscesses
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in grassland.
Where It Grows
Asia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam,
Propagation
Seed - 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 good fibre, used for making rope, is obtained from the bark.
Notes
There are about 150-200 Grewia species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit of most may be edible. These are probably now in the Malvaceae. These were in the Sparrmanniaceae and the Tiliaceae.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Chikna, Kharata, Kowri, Notk, Pet-ok, Sinma-mo-phyin, Sitagathalu, Tayaw-ah, Tel chhopdi, Vern, Yaw
References (7)
- Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2712
- Gardner, S., et al, 2000, A Field Guide to Forest Trees of Northern Thailand, Kobfai Publishing Project. p 90
- Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A., and Seberg, O. 2007, Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. p 307
- Jadhav, R., et al, 2015, Forest Foods of Northern Western Ghats: Mode of Consumption, Nutrition and Availability. Asian Agri-History Vol. 19, No. 4: 293-317
- 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
Show all 7 references Hide references
- Pasha, M. K. & Uddin, S. B., 2019, Minor Edible Fruits of Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 26(2): 299–313
- Prabha, Y. P., et al, 2010, Documentation of Wild Edible Plants of Melghat Forest, Dist. Amravati, Maharashtra State, India. Ethnobotanical Leaflets 14: 751-58, 2010.
