Dillenia indica

Botanical Name –Dillenia indica

Common Name – Elephant Apple, Avartaki, Bhavyam (Sanskrit), Chalta, Karambel(Hindi), Karmal (Marathi)

Habit

• Evergreen small to medium-sized tree
• Medium growth rate

Habitat

• Dry deciduous and moist forests

Distribution

• Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

Ecology

• Macaques, rodents, squirrels. large mammals feed on fruit. Elephants cherish it
• It is one of the main food sources for the wild elephants
• Nectar and pollen for bees, beetles and flies

Uses

• Fruit is used to prepare curries, jam, and jellies
• The fruits can be rubbed in water to make soap
• The pulp is used as a hair wash
• fruit used as tonic, abdominal disorders, against coughs
• The bark and leaves are use as astringent
• The leaves and fruits have been used to cure diseases like fever, constipation, dysentery, stomach-ache

Propagation

• Seeds and cuttings