Minor tropical fruits
There are a large number of other edible fruits in the tropics, some of them have been domesticated while many are yet to be recognized and exploited for their potential importance. Currently, a few of these are being raised on a limited scale in home gardens, small farms or as backyard trees, and several fruits also come up naturally in forest from where the local people gather them for consumption. But cultivation of these fruits on a commercial scale is not yet attempted. Nevertheless, a good market for many of these lesser known fruits, in the fresh or processed form, exists and some of them can even find place in international market if grown systematically with stringent quality control. Moreover, in due course of time, new uses for many of these fruits may be known and some of them have potential for direct improvement.
The broad spectrum of agroclimatic regions of India, the adaptive plasticity of fruits trees and diversity in people’s concept with respect to taste should make it possible to identify the right fruit or fruits for a given region for a large-scale profitable production. Therefore, these fruits merit widespread testing for their systematic cultivation and also for growing in areas where they are unknown. As of now, very little information is available on cultivation technology but general crop husbandry principles as applicable for tropical fruits should largely hold good. Some of these fruits found in India are.
Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra): Grows in humid to warm tropics; spreading shrub, about 4 m high, can withstand mild frost and drought; fruits are good source of vitamin C, bark yields tannin; propagation by cuttings, grafting and air-layering.
Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi): Humid tropics; a small tree; fruits are gherkin-like, seeds are covered by a fatty layer which contains 6% oxalic acid; Fruits used for pickles, curries and preserves; seed propagated.
Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana): Cultivated throughout India for edible fruits; herbaceous, erect growing, perennial; fruits are enclosed in a large persistent calyx; acidic pulp has a pleasant flavour, good source of vitamin C; fruits are eaten fresh and used in jam preparation; seed propagated.
Chironji (Buchanania lanzan): Subtropical, mostly found in drier regions; a small tree; dark coloured ripe fruits are eaten; seeds also edible and used as dry fruit; gum obtained from the tree is used in textile industry.
Hog plum (yellow mombin) (Spondias mombin): Grows in humid tropics of south India; very large tree; pear-shaped yellow fruits, are edible and used in jelly-making; infusion of leaves and fruits is useful as expectorant; propagated by seeds.
Indian almond (Terminalia catappa): It is also called Singpore or tropical almond; grown throughout hotter parts of India; seeds (kernels) are edible; bark and fruits are used for tanning.
Kokam butter tree (Garcinia indica): Evergreen tree found in Western Ghats; fruits have sweetish to acidic pulp and is used for preparing juice; dried pulp is used in curries for souring; seeds are used for making kokam butter and in soap making.
Lanson (langsatr duku) (Lansium domesticum): Mainly grows in humid tropics; fruit of Malay archipelago; symmetrical medium-size tree; spherical, 5 cm diameter fruits occur in bunches; edible pulp is juicy and translucent; pulp can be preserved in syrup; plant multiplication by seeds or budding.
Longan (Dimocarpus longan): Sub-tropics or tropical low lands; an ornamental tree found in south and east India; fruits occur in clusters of 25–30; sweet aril is eaten fresh, dried and canned.
Manila tamarind (Jangal jalebi) (Pithecellobium dulce): Distributed throughout India; used as hedge plant; attractive tamarind like pods; the pulp (aril) is crisp, sweet and edible; a delicious drink is also prepared; seed propagated.
Prickly pear (Indian fig) (Opuntia ficus-indica): Found in arid tropics and sub-tropics with winter rains; grown as hedge plant; spineless types are identified; a cactus-fruit, oblong to pear shaped; pulp soft, whitish, translucent with many seeds, juicy and can be eaten fresh or dried; baked fruits are good for whooping cough; raised from cuttings.
Rose apple (Malbar plum) (Syzygium jambos): Comes up in warm moist tropics; large handsome tree (10 m heigh); flowers are showy with long stamens; spherical (5 cm diameter), pale yellow fruits; crisp pulp with rose flavour has high pectin; propagation by seed and layering.
Star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito): Can be raised in humid tropics to frost-free sub-tropics; a graceful ornamental tree reaching a height of 15m; star-shaped, 5-10 cm diameter fruits are edible; pulp is whitish, soft and sweet; propagation is either from seeds or layers.
Star gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus): Cultivated in south of India, Small-sized tree; star-shaped acidic fruits, vitamin C less than aonla; fruits used for pickling and chutney, bark is used in tanning industry; propagated from seeds.
Surinam cherry (Brazil cherry) (Eugenia uniflora): Widely distributed in tropics and subtropics; an ornamental shrub; sub-globose (3 cm diameter),
8-ribbed fruits; soft, juicy, pulp is pleasantly eaten fresh and used for jelly making; seed and cleft grafting are means of propagation.
Water rose apple (water apple) (Syzygium aqueum): Distributed in Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim; small tree, 5-10 m tall, branching near the base; purplish, ball-shaped fruits have watery pulp; eaten raw and sometimes used to prepare syrup; propagation is by budding and air-layering.
Wood apple (Elephant apple) (Feronia limonia): Wood apple is found almost throughout the country, prefers dry climate; cricket ball size fruits have sweet and aromatic pulp, eaten fresh or used for drinks, chutneys, jellies etc; the tree yields good quality gum.
White sapota (Casimiroa edulis): Tropical high lands to sub-tropics, found in south India; medium-sized tree; fruits are yellow with a sweet, pleasant flavoured pulp and large seeds, rind is bitter. It has potential for use in beverages; propagation is by seeds.
There are a large number of other edible fruits in the tropics, some of them have been domesticated while many are yet to be recognized and exploited for their potential importance. Currently, a few of these are being raised on a limited scale in home gardens, small farms or as backyard trees, and several fruits also come up naturally in forest from where the local people gather them for consumption. But cultivation of these fruits on a commercial scale is not yet attempted. Nevertheless, a good market for many of these lesser known fruits, in the fresh or processed form, exists and some of them can even find place in international market if grown systematically with stringent quality control. Moreover, in due course of time, new uses for many of these fruits may be known and some of them have potential for direct improvement.
The broad spectrum of agroclimatic regions of India, the adaptive plasticity of fruits trees and diversity in people’s concept with respect to taste should make it possible to identify the right fruit or fruits for a given region for a large-scale profitable production. Therefore, these fruits merit widespread testing for their systematic cultivation and also for growing in areas where they are unknown. As of now, very little information is available on cultivation technology but general crop husbandry principles as applicable for tropical fruits should largely hold good. Some of these fruits found in India are.
Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra): Grows in humid to warm tropics; spreading shrub, about 4 m high, can withstand mild frost and drought; fruits are good source of vitamin C, bark yields tannin; propagation by cuttings, grafting and air-layering.
Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi): Humid tropics; a small tree; fruits are gherkin-like, seeds are covered by a fatty layer which contains 6% oxalic acid; Fruits used for pickles, curries and preserves; seed propagated.
Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana): Cultivated throughout India for edible fruits; herbaceous, erect growing, perennial; fruits are enclosed in a large persistent calyx; acidic pulp has a pleasant flavour, good source of vitamin C; fruits are eaten fresh and used in jam preparation; seed propagated.
Chironji (Buchanania lanzan): Subtropical, mostly found in drier regions; a small tree; dark coloured ripe fruits are eaten; seeds also edible and used as dry fruit; gum obtained from the tree is used in textile industry.
Hog plum (yellow mombin) (Spondias mombin): Grows in humid tropics of south India; very large tree; pear-shaped yellow fruits, are edible and used in jelly-making; infusion of leaves and fruits is useful as expectorant; propagated by seeds.
Indian almond (Terminalia catappa): It is also called Singpore or tropical almond; grown throughout hotter parts of India; seeds (kernels) are edible; bark and fruits are used for tanning.
Kokam butter tree (Garcinia indica): Evergreen tree found in Western Ghats; fruits have sweetish to acidic pulp and is used for preparing juice; dried pulp is used in curries for souring; seeds are used for making kokam butter and in soap making.
Lanson (langsatr duku) (Lansium domesticum): Mainly grows in humid tropics; fruit of Malay archipelago; symmetrical medium-size tree; spherical, 5 cm diameter fruits occur in bunches; edible pulp is juicy and translucent; pulp can be preserved in syrup; plant multiplication by seeds or budding.
Longan (Dimocarpus longan): Sub-tropics or tropical low lands; an ornamental tree found in south and east India; fruits occur in clusters of 25–30; sweet aril is eaten fresh, dried and canned.
Manila tamarind (Jangal jalebi) (Pithecellobium dulce): Distributed throughout India; used as hedge plant; attractive tamarind like pods; the pulp (aril) is crisp, sweet and edible; a delicious drink is also prepared; seed propagated.
Prickly pear (Indian fig) (Opuntia ficus-indica): Found in arid tropics and sub-tropics with winter rains; grown as hedge plant; spineless types are identified; a cactus-fruit, oblong to pear shaped; pulp soft, whitish, translucent with many seeds, juicy and can be eaten fresh or dried; baked fruits are good for whooping cough; raised from cuttings.
Rose apple (Malbar plum) (Syzygium jambos): Comes up in warm moist tropics; large handsome tree (10 m heigh); flowers are showy with long stamens; spherical (5 cm diameter), pale yellow fruits; crisp pulp with rose flavour has high pectin; propagation by seed and layering.
Star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito): Can be raised in humid tropics to frost-free sub-tropics; a graceful ornamental tree reaching a height of 15m; star-shaped, 5-10 cm diameter fruits are edible; pulp is whitish, soft and sweet; propagation is either from seeds or layers.
Star gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus): Cultivated in south of India, Small-sized tree; star-shaped acidic fruits, vitamin C less than aonla; fruits used for pickling and chutney, bark is used in tanning industry; propagated from seeds.
Surinam cherry (Brazil cherry) (Eugenia uniflora): Widely distributed in tropics and subtropics; an ornamental shrub; sub-globose (3 cm diameter),
8-ribbed fruits; soft, juicy, pulp is pleasantly eaten fresh and used for jelly making; seed and cleft grafting are means of propagation.
Water rose apple (water apple) (Syzygium aqueum): Distributed in Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim; small tree, 5-10 m tall, branching near the base; purplish, ball-shaped fruits have watery pulp; eaten raw and sometimes used to prepare syrup; propagation is by budding and air-layering.
Wood apple (Elephant apple) (Feronia limonia): Wood apple is found almost throughout the country, prefers dry climate; cricket ball size fruits have sweet and aromatic pulp, eaten fresh or used for drinks, chutneys, jellies etc; the tree yields good quality gum.
White sapota (Casimiroa edulis): Tropical high lands to sub-tropics, found in south India; medium-sized tree; fruits are yellow with a sweet, pleasant flavoured pulp and large seeds, rind is bitter. It has potential for use in beverages; propagation is by seeds.
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