Cordia obliqua Willd.

Description :

This plant is a small tree, usually grows up to the height of 3 to 4 m, but it can also reach up to the height of around 10 m. The bark of the tree is about 12 to 20 m thick.  The branches are arching and contorted. Leaves are simple, alternate, elliptic, and oblong and are 4 to 9 cm long, 3 to 8 cm wide. Petioles are 1-3.5cm long. Flowers are dimorphic, sessile, lobes unequal, triangular and bisexual. Fruit is a drupe and has a single seed. The Drupes are yellow or reddish, sub spherical 2cm in diameter, with sticky mesocarp.

Distribution :

It occurs naturally in Pakistan and India but is now naturalized in Mexico and the West Indies. A tree of tropical and subtropical regions, found at elevations from sea level to 1500m. It grows in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 250-3000. In areas with annual rainfall less than 500mm, it thrives along streams or depressions where moisture is available

Uses :

The fruits are edible and used as pickle. The gum obtained from mucilage is used for pasting sheets of paper and as matrix forming material in tablet formulations. The immature fruits are pickled and are also used as a vegetable. The plant also has medicinal uses. The juice of the leaves is considered cooling, and is applied as a poultice to treat migraine, inflammation, and swellings. The fruit are considered to be very effective in the treatment of diseases related to lungs. The fruits are also useful in treating chronic fever. They fruits lessen the thirst and scalding of urine, and it removes pain from joints and burring throat and also effective in treating the problems related to spleen.