Elaeocarpus serratus

Elaeocarpus serratus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Clade:Rosids
Order:Oxalidales
Family:Elaeocarpaceae
Genus:Elaeocarpus
Species: E. serratus
Binomial name
Elaeocarpus serratus
Linnaeus, 1753 [1]
Elaeocarpus serratus (Veralu / Ceylon Olive) fruits

Elaeocarpus serratus is a tropical fruit found in the Indian Subcontinent, Indo-China and South East Asia. It is an ornamental medium-sized tree indigenous to Sri Lanka, producing smooth, ovoid green fruits. The fruit has nutritive and medicinal values.

Taxonomy

The botanical name is Elaeocarpus serratus. Classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.[1] Belongs to genus Elaeocarpus and Family Elaeocarpaceae.

Distribution

It is an Asia-tropical fruit tree. Found in India - Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Assam and Nepal and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the Indian Subcontinent. Also found in Indo-China - Myanmar and Indonesia and Malaysia.[2]

In Sri Lanka the fruit is well known.[3]

Local names

Known as Veralu (වෙරළු) in Sinhala, Veralikkai in Tamil, Kaarakka or Kaara in Malayalam, Jolphai in Assamese, Jalpai in Bengali, Chorphon in Manipur and as Ceylon olive in English.[3]

Description

It is an ornamental medium-sized tree. Bears smooth ovoid green fruits[4] the size of about 2.5 cm long. Recommended varieties are local cultivars (round and oval fruits).[3] It has a brown coloured seed inside the fruit.

Nutritive and medicinal values

The fruits are high in starch and sugar and have low amounts of protein and iron. It may help treat diarrhoea due to its constipating effect.[3].

In Sri Lanka pickled Ceylon olives are eaten as popular street food.

References

  1. 1 2 Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum, Tomus I: 515
  2. ↑ "Elaeocarpus serratus". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, Task Force on Fruits & Fruit Development Board (1997). Tropical Fruits of Sri Lanka. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Sri Lanka. p. 29.
  4. ↑ M.F.Macmillan (1989). Handbook of Tropical Plants. p. 560.
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