Mimusops elengi L. | |
Sapotaceae | |
Magizham | |
| Botanical Name | Mimusops elengi L. |
| Synonyms | Kaukenia elengi. (L.) Kuntze ; Imbricaria perroudii. Montrouz. |
| Family | Sapotaceae |
| Common Name | English : Spanish cherry / Tamil : Magizham |
| Distribution | Global : Indo-Malesia Indian : Manipur, Odisha and Tamil Nadu |
| Description | Evergreen trees up to 20 m Tall, bark dark grey, cracked or fissured longitudinally, scaly, exudation white, young branches brown pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral, stipulate; elliptic-oblong, margin entire, coriaceous. Inflorescence cyme or axillary fascicles,. Flowers bisexual, white, fragrant, calyx lobes 8 in 2 series of 4 each, thick, outer lanceolate, valvate, pubescent; petals corolla lobes 24, 3 series of 8 each, with hairs on back and margins, acuminate. Stamens 8, alternating with pilose staminodes; filaments 1 mm, anthers oblong, cordate, connectives apiculate; staminodes lanceolate, acuminate, fimbricate, pilose. Ovary void, hirsute without, 6-8-celled; 1 ovule in each cell; style columnar, 5 mm; stigma minutely fimbricate. Fruit a berry, yellow, ovoid, fleshy, epicarp thin. Seeds usually 1, oblong-ellipsoid, laterally compressed. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | March-July and October-December |
| Uses | Fruit Edible, Timber, Dye/tannin, Fuel |
| Medicinal Uses | Dental ailments, Astringent, Masticatory, Cardio tonic, Anti Urolithiatic, Antipyretic |
| Tamil Name | Magizham |