INTRODUCTION TO JAVA PLUM TREE

 

JAVA PLUM

Family - Myrtaceae

Scientific name - Eugenia jambolana Syzygium jamboanum or cumini

COMMON NAMES:

   1) In English it is also known as the Black Plum.

   2) In Hindi Jamun or Jambhool.

   3) In Bengali Kala Jam.

   4) In Marathi Jambhur or Jaman.

   5) In Tamil Naval or Nagai.

WHERE IT GROWS:

   1) This tree originated in India, Burma, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, and grows all over the country except in very dry sandy areas.

   2) It also grows well in Australia.

   3) It is very common in Maharashtra where forests of Jambhool can be seen.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

   1) It is tall and fast growing after the first two years.

   2) An evergreen tree, it can grow in many conditions and is fairly hardy.

   3) It has a pale or darker grey-brown bark which is rough and thick, and peels off in patches.

   4) The branches start high up the trunk and make a wide tent of leaves.

LEAVES OF THE JAVA PLUM TREE:

   1) These grow facing each other up the stems, some thin and lance-like, others oval and others almost round.

   2) If the leaves up to the light tiny transparent spots can be seen all over them.

                                            

   3) These spots can be seen on many of the leaves of family of which the Jamun is a member.

   4) The trees lose their leaves in early spring, usually January or February.

   5) When the leaves are crushed they have a strong smell.

   6) They are often fed to the Tasar silk worms.

FLOWERS OF THE JAVA PLUM:

   1) These are greenish-white in colour and very tiny.

                                       

   2) They are bunched together in groups on stalks that grow out under the leaves.

   3) They are very sweetly perfumed, and open from March to May.

FRUIT OF THE JAVA PLUM:

   1) These ripen in June or July and sometimes a little earlier.

   2) They are oval in shape and dark purple in colour when ripe.

   3) They vary in size but can grow quite large, about the size of a pigeon’s egg.

                                   

   4) They are very juicy and sweet when ripe, but the juice dries the mouth, and some people do not like to eat them for this reason.

   5) Ponies love the Jamun fruit and a few can often be seen with their mouths covered in pale purple froth.

   6) Many people do not like to plant this tree in their gardens as the fruits when they fall make a mess and small boys throw stones at the tree so that they can steal the fruit.

USES OF THE JAVA PLUM:

   1) The tree is often planted near temples.

   2) It is also planted for the shade it gives on the sides of roads in cities.

   3) Liquor and vinegar are made from the juice of the fruit and many parts of the tree are used in local medicine.

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INTRODUTION TO CANNON-BALL TREE

                 CANNON–BALL TREE

Family – Myrtaceae

Scientific name – Couroupita guianensis

Common names –

   1) Monkey pots in English

   2) Nagalingam in Bengali and Tamil.

   3) Shivlingam in Hindi.

   4) Kailashpati in Marathi.

Growing areas –

   1) Originated in South America.

   2) It can live in all tropical regions, preferring moist and low-lying areas.

General information –

   1) This tree often looks untidy due to it’s branches which grows in uneven manner.

   2) The branches start growing in high up the trunk.

   3) This tree is large and fast growing evergreen tree.

   4) This tree has the thick straight trunk and rough grey brown bark.

Leaves, flowers and fruit of the Cannon-Ball tree.

Leaves of the Cannon-Ball Tree –

   1) This tree sheds it’s leaves in several times in the year for the short time.

   2) It only takes few days to grow new leaves on the blank places of old leaves.

   3) The leaves are long and narrow.

   4) They are rich green colour when new, darken within a few days.

Flowers of the Cannon-Ball Tree –

   1) The flowers are six petalled fleshy flowers appear all the year round.

   2) The flowers are pink and maroon or can be many coloured with the yellow or white on them.

   3) The flowers hang to the long wood like stalks which grow out from the trunk.

   4) They have the strange sweet perfume.

   5) If the petals are crushed they immediately turns blue as the air reaches the crushed parts.

Fruit of the Cannon-Ball Tree –

   1) The fruits take 8 to 9 months to develop.

   2) The shape of the fruit is round and changes to cannon ball shape when ripe.

   3) Fruits are hard and brown outside and they contain sour smelling soft flesh and many seeds.

Uses of the Cannon-Ball Tree –

   1) In India the flowers of the tree are used by Shiva worshippers for their pujas, as the shape of the flower has a religious significance.

   2) The tree often planted in tropical countries for it’s beautiful flowers and because of it’s odd appearance.

   3) The wood of the tree is of value.

   4) The pulp of the fruit is made into drinks.

   5) The shell of the fruit is made into utensils by natives of South America, and in Guiana (land of many waters) the pulp is fed to farm animals, and also eaten by local monkeys.

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