The Indian Hog Plum

Location in BHU campus :Planted in Botanical and Ayurvedic gardens.

Botanical name : Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz Syn S.mangifera Willd. S.acuminata Roxb.

Family : Anacardiaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali-Amna, amra, ambra; Gujarati-Ranambu; Hindi-Amara, jangli am; Kannada-Amatekaye, ambattermaral poondi, goodamate, kaadamate, marahunsie, vrykshamla; Malayalam-Kataambolam, ambazham, manpuli, puliman, Mundari-Ambaru, arbaru; Oriya-Ambula, omodo, amaratoko; Punjab-Bahamb, ambara; Tamil-Kotamar, katamara, mari-man-chedi, manpulichi, ambalam, ampallai, ambiram, eginam, ibangam, kathimagirangai, pullipullama;Telugu-Adavimaamidi, kondamaamidi, irurumaamidi, touramaamidi.

English names : The Indian Hog Plum

A medium-sized tree usually up to 20 m high. Leaves imparipinnate, usually crowded at the ends of the branchlets, alternate; leaflets 3-6 pairs, oblong or elliptic-oblong. Flowers white, long panicles. Fruit a drupe, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1-3 seeded.

Flowering: February-March

Fruiting : October-December

• Sacred value

The fruits are used in worship.

• Uses

Fruits are edible; they are made into chutneys, pickles and jams. Bark is used as tan. Wood is used for packing cases. Herbivores feed on the fallen fruits.