eChapters

1. Introduction

The remains of almond, found in several archeological sites, show the importance of this crop since centuries. Being storable after drying, the fruits can be transported everywhere, this is the reason why, these nutritious nuts have followed the human migration. The easy adaptability of this species to poor soils has favored their spread. It is an elixir for good health and a panacea for all ills. Almonds have long been an integral part of India’s cultural heritage, especially during festive seasons and weddings. In an increasingly health-conscious nation like India, the demand for almonds is ever increasing. However, several problems plague production and limit output which has led to high import.

1.1. Nutritional value

Almonds are good source of fat, in which 80% is in the form of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) which decreases unwanted cholesterol of body. Almonds contain omega-6 fatty acid which is good for heart. The amount of saturated fat is very less in almonds. Almonds have high amount of phosphorus and calcium which is required for bone growth. Magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6 and Vit. E are also available in almonds. Almond oil contains glucosides, minerals, vitamins and is rich in protein. Nutritive value of almond has been presented in Table1.

1. Botanical name : Carissa spinarum L.

2. Family : Apocynaceae

3. Common Name : Wild Karonda

4. Name in Indian languages

Jungli Karonda, Karunda (Hindi), Karamacha (Bengali), Karmarda (Gujarati), Karmanji, Kavali (Karnataka), Karavada, Karanda, Karwant (Marathi), Vaka, Kalivi, Kavali Kalli (Telugu), Chirukila, Karvand, Kalakkay, Kalachedi (Tamilnadu), Karamdika (Oriya), Karamarda, Avighna (Sanskrit).

1. Botanical Name : Careya arborea Roxb.

2. Family : Lecythidaceae

3. Common Name : Wild Guava, Ceylon Oak

4. Name in Indian languages

Kumbhi (Hindi), Kumbha (Marathi), Aima (Tamil), Peelam, Pela (Malayalam), Araya, Buddaburija (Telugu), Alagavvele, Daddal (Kannada), Kumbhi (Bengali), Kumbh(Oriya), Godhajam, Kumbhi (Assamese), Girikarrnika (Sanskrit).

1. Botanical Name :Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew.

2. Family : Capparaceae

3. Common Name : Caper berry, Bare Caper, Kair

4. Name in Indian languages

Dela (Delhi and Punjab), Karir, Karil (Uttar Pradesh), Kair (Hindi), Nepati (Marathi), Sirakkali (Tamil), Karimullu (Malayalam), Kariramu (Telugu), Chippuri (Kannada), Khirar(Urdu), Kera (Gujarati).

1. Botanical name : Canthium parviflora Lamk syn

2. Family : Rubiaceae

3. Common Name : Wild jessamine, Carray cheddie

4. Name in Indian languages

Kare pan (Kodwa), Karemull (Kannada), Kayil (Konkani), Madhakara, (Malayalam), Kirma (Marathi), Tutidi (Oriya), Sinnabalusu, (Telugu), Mullukaara (Tamil), Nagabala (Sanskrit).

1. Botanical Name : Canthium dicoccum var. umbellatum syn. Pelectronia parviflora Gaertn.) Merr

2. Family : Rubiaceae

3. Common Name : Ceylon Boxwood, Malakafe

4. Name in Indian languages

Amme pannu (Kodwa), Hanage (Kannada), Nanyul (Malayalam), Arsul, Tupa (Marathi), Nanjul, Nallamandharam (Tamil), Nalla balasu, Balasu naikinna (Telugu).

1. Botanical name : Calligonum polygonoides L.

2. Family : Polygonaceae

3. Common Name : Phog

4. Name in Indian languages: Phog (Hindi), Phog(Punjabi), Balanja, Berwaja (Afghanistan).

5. Description

Phog (Calligonum polygonoides L.) is a under-utilized shrub, dominantly found in arid and semi-arid region of Thar Desert. It is a typical sand dune plant, found in whole of arid zone. It is a slow growing, branching shrub. It has a massive network of underground root which works as effective ‘sand binder’ and thus preventing erosion and stabilizing sand dunes. It grows well in absence of any type of vegetation and dominant biomass producer of the sandy areas of the desert. It is very hardy and being capable of growing under adverse conditions of soil and moisture. It is frost hardy. It is becoming increasingly rare due to the demand for its roots, overgrazing and sand mining.

1. Botanical name: Buchanania lanzan spreng.

2. Family: Anacardiaceae

3. Common Name: Cuddapah almond , Chironji

4. Name in Indian languages: Chironji (Hindi), Piyal (Assami), Chironji (Bengali), Kole Maavu (Kannada), Charam (Tamil), Mungapera (Malayalam).

5. Description

It is an excellent fruit tree for agro forestry and social forestry. This species is found in dry deciduous forest throughout the country excluding eastern Himalayan forests . The flesh of ripe fruit is very palatable and is largely eaten raw or roasted and the oily kernels are the most important part and are used in preparation of puddings. Mesocarp of fruit is edible and cherished by children. Very good juice may be prepared from the pulp of chironji fruits.

1. Botanical Name : Borassus flabellifer L

2. Family : Palmae (araeceae)

3. Common Name : Mukkana, Palmyra Palm, toddy palm

4. Name in Indian languages

Taad, Tal, Trinaraaj (Hindi), Taad (Marathi), Talam (Tamil), Karimpana (Malayalam), Tatichettu (Telugu), Olegari, Taalegari, Taatinimgu (Kannada), Taala (Bengali), Sanskrit: Taalah

1. Botanical name : Berberis aristata DC

2. Family : Berberidaceae

3. Common Name : Indian barberry

4. Name in Indian languages

Darhaldi (Bengali), Kilmora (Kumaoni), Daru-haldi (Hindi), Maradarisina, Maramanjal (Malyalam), Daruhald (Marathi), Chitra, Chutro (Nepali), Mullukala, Usikkala (Tamil), Daruharidra (Sanskrit).

1. Botanical Name : Balanites aegyptiaca (Linn.)

2. Family : Zygophyllaceae

3. Common Name : Desert Date, soap berry tree

4. Name in Indian languages

Hingot (Hindi), Ingala, Ingalarade, Ingalare (Kannada), Namunta, Nanchunta (Malayalam), Hingalbet, Hingam (Marathi), Tapasadruma, Angaravrksa (Sanskrit), Nanchundan, Nancuntan (Tamil), Gara, Gara-Chettu(Telugu).

1. Botanical name : Baccaurea courtalensis (Wt.) Muell.

2. Family : Euphorbiaceae

3. Common Name : Burmese grape, Mootapalam

4. Name in Indian languages : Mootilpazham, Mootilthoori, Mootippuli (Malayalam), Kolikuki (Kannada).

5. Description

Baccaurea courtalensis is a trees of tropical evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats. It is an endangered tree. The tree bears tiny crimson flowers on long stalks growing on the trunk of the tree (cauliflory). These stalks are arranged in clusters on the trunk. When in bloom the whole trunk appears red and is a beautiful sight. Fruits hang in clusters from the trunk of the tree. A tall tree produces cauliflory inflorescence. The flowers are unisexual, dioecious, male inflorescence in clustered racemes on short tubercles all over the trunk, red, female inflorescence in clustered racemes, mostly confined to base of the trunk, hence its named Mootapalam.

1. Botanical Name : Baccaurea ramiflora Lour.

2. Family : Phyllanthaceae

3. Common Name : Burmese Grape

4. Name in Indian languages

Sohramdieng (Khasi) and Sohmyndong (Pnar), Khatta phal (Hindi), Moktok (Manipuri), Bhubi, Iphek (Tripura)

1. Botanical Name: Artocarpus lacucha Buch- Ham.

2. Family: Moraceae

3. Common Name: Monkey Jack, Lakoocha

4. Name in Indian languages

Lakuch, Lakooch, Lakoochi, Barhal, Dahu, Dahua (Hindi), Badhar, Kshudraphanas (Marathi), Ilagusam, Irappala, Solaippakku, Tinippalavu (Tamil), Chimpa, Lakucham, Pulinjakka (Malayalam), Esuluhuli, Lakucha, Otehuli, Vatehuli (Kannada), Dephal, Dahu (Bengali), Lakoocha (Oriya), Dridhavalkala, Granthimatphala (Sanskrit), Badhar (Nepali).

1. Botanical Name : Artocarpus hirsutus L.

2. Family : Moraceae

3. Common Name: Wild jackfruit

4. Name in Indian languages : Hebbalasu (Kannada), Anjili (Malayalam), Aiyinipila (Tamil).

5. Description

Artocarpus hirsutus is a tropical evergreen tree species. It prefers moist, deciduous to partially evergreen woodlands. It grows in altitudes ranging from sea level to an elevation of 1000 m. The height of tree can reach up to 35 m and about 4.5 m in girth. The main stem is straight and cylindrical. It is used as shade tree in coffee plantations. The seeds (with 17% oil) are eaten or used medicinally. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 32°C. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,500 - 3,500 mm. Older plants succeed in full sun or moderate shade, but younger trees require reasonable levels of shade. It is fast growing species with deep tap root.

1. Botanical name : Ardisia solanacea Roxb.

2. Family : Myrsinaceae

3. Common Name : Shoebutton Ardisia, duck’s eye

4. Name in Indian languages

Bisi (Hindi), Kadna, Katapenga, Bugadi, Dikna, nilbedsi (Marathi), Manipudbam, Kozhikkottai, Narikandam (Tamil), Kaka-njara(Malayalam), Bodhina gida, Shuli, Bode, Sore(Kannada), Banjam(Bengali), Damaai Phal (Nepali), Tinkoli (Oriya).

1. Botanical Name : Aporosa lindleyana (Wt) Baill.

2. Family : Euphorbiaceae

3. Common Name : Lindley’s Aporosa

4. Name in Indian languages: Yechi pan (Kodwa), Salle mara, Sali, Sarali, Sulla (Kannada), Kodali, Kotili, Ponvetti, Vetti, Vittil (Malayalam), Kodali, Vettikan, Vettil, Vittil, Vitti (Tamil),Valaka (Sanskrit).

5. Description

It is tree, belongs to Euphorbiaceae family which grow up to 15 m height. Tree bark is smooth to shallowly fissured, brownish; blaze pink. Leaves are simple, alternate, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 7.5-17 cm long. Flowers unisexual, dioecious; male flowers in axillary catkins; female flowers in condensed cymes.

1. Botanical name : Antidesma acidum Ritz.

2. Family : Phyllanthaceae

3. Common Name : Antidesma

4. Name in Indian languages : Amati (Marathi), Himalcherry (Hindi), Kareekome (Kannada), Airyoporiyan (Malayalam), Aanepooi (Telugu), Nolaidali (Tamil).

5. Description

Antidesma acidum is a shrub or a tree growing up to 10 metres tall. The bole, which usually branches from near the base, can be 10cm in diameter. It is found in dry deciduous, deciduous and evergreen forest at forest edges or in open spaces and bamboo thickets; or half-shady habitats associated with dipterocarps, pine, oak. It is often disturbed, much degraded or frequently burnt vegetation.

1. Botanical Name : Allophylus serratus (Roxb.)Kurz

2. Family : Sapindaceae

3. Common Name : Tippani

4. Name in Indian languages: Lavate pan (Kodwa), Tippani (Hindi), Sidisale (Kannada), Mukkanamperu (Malayalam), Memdri (Marathi), Amalai (Tamil), Eravalu (telugu), Trputah (Sanskrit).

5. Description

It is an evergreen, low branching small tree or a large shrub about 3-6m tall. Trunk is straight with open canopy. The outer pulp and some time seeds are consumed in fresh state. It is frequently notice in degraded forest areas in Western Ghats. It is known to possess various therapeutic properties.

1. Botanical Name : Alangium salviifolium(L.F.) Wangerin

2. Family : Cornaceae

3. Common Name : Sage-leaved alangium

4. Name in Indian languages: Akola or Ankol (Hindi), Gandhapushpa (Sanskrit), Ankol (Marathi), Ankol (Gujarati), Ankod (Bengali), Ankolam (Malayalam), Ankola (Kannada), Alanji (Tamil).

5. Description

Sage-leaved alangium (Alangium salvifolium) is a small, bushy tree with a medium dense canopy. It has several medicinal properties. The roots, bark, fruit seeds and oils are used for treatments. The useful in stomach related disorders. The plants are short to medium in height. The trunks are short with sparse thorns.

1. Botanical Name : Aesculus indica Colebr

2. Family : Sapindaceae

3. Common Name : Himalayan horse chestnut

4. Name in Indian languages: Khanor, Bankhor, Tatwakhar (Himachali), Bankhor, Kanor, (Hindi), Kakra, Hanudun (Kashmir), Kanur, Gun, Khanor (Punjabi). Pangar (Kumoani), Ghode Pangro(Nepali).

5. Description

Aesculus indica or Himalayan horse chestnut, is a spectacular tree with pinkish white blossoms. It is found growing in the Himalayan forests between 2,000 and 3,000 metres msl. It is an attractive tree, bearing beautiful, multi coloured blossoms during May and June. The leaves are also ornamental and form a beautiful canopy. The tree, therefore, is becoming popular as an avenue tree. The tree yield s which are eaten by the people.

India has a total geographical area of about 329 million hectares which represents about 2.4% of the world’s total landmass but it harbours a total of 47,513 plant species. Out of about 0.4 million species known in the world, it represent as much as 11.4% of world flora. About 28% of plants that occur in India are endemic to the country. The ecological or ecosystem diversity of the country is enormous, ranging from sea level to the highest mountainous ranges in the world, hot and arid conditions in the northwest to cold arid conditions in the trans-Himalayan region, tropical wet evergreen forests in Northeast India and the Western Ghats and mangroves of Sundarbans.

Family : Rhamnaceae

Flowering: July-September

Fruiting: October-January

Botanical Description: Jackal Jujube is a very thorny straggling shrub with rusty-velvety young branches with paired thorns. Thorns are, one straight and the other recurved. Alternately arranged simple leaves are ovate to ovatelancelike, often oblique, with three prominent nerves and numerous transverse nervules. Tiny green flowers are borne in nearly stalkless velvety cymes in leaf axils. Fruits are spherical or obovoid drupes, black, shining, seeds woody.

Family : Lythraceae

Flowering: August-September

Fruiting: November-December

Botanical description: The water chestnut is an annual aquatic herb with a rosette of floating leaves and submerged, anchored into the mud by very fine roots. It has two types of leaves, finely divided, feather-like submerged leaves borne along the length of the stem, and undivided floating leaves borne in a rosette at the water’s surface. The floating leaves have saw-tooth edges and are ovoid or triangular in shape, 2-3 cm long, on inflated leaf-stalks 5-9 cm long, which provide added buoyancy for the leafy portion. Flowers are white in colour, with Four petals and are borne for a long period. The fruit is a nut with barbed spines. Seeds can remain viable up to 12 years, although most germinate within the first two years.

Family : Myrtaceae

Flowering: April-May

Fruiting: July-August

Botanical description: The plant is an evergreen tropical tree, 50 to 100 ft. tall, with oblong opposite leaves that are smooth, glossy and having a terpentine smell. It has fragrant white flowers in branched clusters at stem tips and purplish-black oval edible berries. The leaves are antibacterial, and are used for strengthning the teeth and gums. The fruit is ellipsoid or oblong, variable in size and shape, usually up to 2.5 cm long, black, shining and juicy when fully ripe. Seeds always one, with thick rounded fleshy cotyledons, closely appressed on their inner faces.

Family : Mimosaceae

Flowering: January-March

Fruiting: April-June

Botanical Description: The plant is a large, nearly evergreen perennial tree that grows up to 20 m or more in height. It has a broad crown, up to 30 m across, and a short trunk, up to 1 m thick. Leaves are deciduous but foliage is persistent, as the new leaves appear while the old ones are being shed, so that the tree looks like an evergreen. Flowers yellowish-white in colour and are borne in small spherical glomerules of about 1 cm in diameter, forming short axillary panicles of 5-30 cm in length. Pods are greenish-brown to red or pinkish, rather thin with 10-15 cm long with irregular shape and flattened. There are about 10 seeds per pod, shining black in a white pulpy aril.

Family : Phyllanthaceae

Flowering: March-May

Fruiting: November-February

Botanical Description: The plant is a small to medium sized deciduous tree, reaching 8 to 18 m in height. It is known for its edible fruits of the same name. The tree has crooked trunk and spreading branches. The leaves are simple, nearly stalkless and closely set along slender branchlets. The leaves are often mistaken for leaflets of pinnate leaves. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow or pinkish, having six segments, but no real petals. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with 6 vertical stripes or furrows.

Family : Phyllanthaceae

Flowering: May-June

Fruiting: June-September

Botanical Description: The plant is a small deciduous tree reaching about 25-30 ft in height. Leaves are compound, 14-25 inches long, crowded at the ends of the branches leaflets 2-3.5 inches long, alternately arranged along the rachis, ovate or obliquely ovate, acute with rounded or wedge-shaped base. Flowers are very minute, in short dense spike-like clusters arising from nodules along the branches. Fruit is pendulous, in small clusters from the branches, round or slightly flattened at the poles, with shallow or deep ribs (usually 5) 0.75 inch across.

Family : Arecaceae

Flowering: February-March

Fruiting: April-May

Botanical Description: The plant is a moderate sized dioecious tree which grows up to 4-10 m. in height and 30 cm diameter with a large crown and rough trunk covered with persistent leaf bases. The leaves are 3 m. long, gently recurved on 1 m petioles with spines near the base. The leaf crown grows to 5 m wide and 7-10 m tall containing up to 100 leaves. The inflorescence grows upto 1 m with white flowers. The single seeded fruit ripens to orange-yellow.

Family : Nymphaeaceae

Flowering: Throughout year

Fruiting: Throughout year

Botanical description: It is an aquatic perennial herb, having erect perennial root stocks that anchor it to the mud in the bottom of the water bodies. Leaves vary from being elliptic-oval to almost circular 15-26 cm across, fine hairs on upper side and always remain at floating stage. Flowers are mostly white, occasionally pink or red reaching up to 15 cm in diameter.

Family: Nelumbonaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: July-December

Botanical description: It is a perennial aquatic plant, growing from a tuberous rootstock lying in mud at the bottom of water bodies, lakes and ponds. The plant produces large leaves which float on the surface of the water. Leaves are large, simple, glabrous, solitary, beset with scattered hard minute papillae and rounded in shape and covered with a network of microscopic hairs. Flowers are large, pink or white in colour with expanding and emerging above water. Fruit is 1-2 cm across with flat-topped seed pod divided into compartments. Seeds globose, 1 mm across and brown in colour

Family : Musaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: Most parts of the year

Botanical description: Banana is a tropical small size tree, with large leaves which overlapping bases from the trunk. The leaves are oblong and 1.2-1.5 m in length. The stem reaches a height of about 10-30 feet. Flower develops from the centre of the crown. Only female flowers develop into a banana fruit that varies in length from 4 to12 inches. Each banana plant bears fruits only once. The plant bears flowers and fruits in most parts of the year.

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Flowering: August-September

Fruiting: September-November

Botanical Description: The plant is a large perennial climber which grows up to 3-5 m. The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, ovate and 3-5 lobed. The flowers are yellow, 4-6 cm across, solitary on axillary stalks. Fruit is an ellipsoid, 3-6 cm long, densely covered with soft spines.

Family : Sapotaceae

Flowering: November-January

Fruiting: March-June

Botanical Description: The plant is a tree growing up to 3-12 m tall, with gray bark and smooth branchlets. The leaves are alternately arranged often closely clustered towards the end of branchlets, obovate to obovate-elliptic leaf blade with 0.8-2 cm leaf-stalks. Flowers are white or light yellow in colour, about 4 mm in size and arise in fascicles in leaf axils. Berry is oblong to ellipsoid, 1- 2 seeded and yellow when ripe.

Family : Sapotaceae

Flowering: February-April

Fruiting: May-July

Botanical Description: The plant is a large or moderate-sized tree, smooth and brown bark with pubescent or tomentose branchlets. The leaves are clustered near the ends of the branches, elliptic, oblong or ovate and acuminate. The flowers are cream coloured, fleshy, on rusty tomentose pedicel and clustered at the end of the usually leafless branches. The fruits are fleshy, green berries, quite large and containing from one to four shiny, brown seeds.

Family : Rutaceae

Flowering: February-April

Fruiting: November-January

Botanical Description: The plant is an erect, slow-growing tree with a few upward-reaching branches. The bark is ridged, fissured and scaly with sharp spines. The leaves are alternate, 3 to 5 in long, dark-green in colour, leathery, often minutely toothed, blunt or notched at the apex, are dotted with oil glands and slightly lemon-scented when crushed. Flowers are greenish or reddish in colour, 1/2in across, are borne in small, loose, terminal or lateral panicles. The tree is mostly known for its hard woody fruit, size of a tennis ball, round to oval in shape. The pulp is brown, odorous, resinous, acid or sweetish, with numerous small, white seeds scattered through it.

Family : Moraceae

Flowering: March-June

Fruiting June-July

Botanical Description: It is a large sized tree with few short areal roots. Leaves are ovate or elliptic with 7-20×3.5-9 cm in size. The most distinctive aspect of this tree is the red, furry figs in short clusters, that grows directly out of the trunk of tree. The figs do carry hundred of flowers in it.

Family : Moraceae

Flowering: Round the year

Fruiting April - June

Botanical Description: The tree is very large, growing up to 30 m tall, with many aerial roots that develop in to new trunks, so that the tree goes on spreading laterally. Indefinitely a single tree can cover a very wide area. The leaves are leathery, entire, ovate or elliptic, which grow up to 20-30 cm long with prominent lateral veins. The fruits are 1 to 2 cm in diameter, rounded in shape, without stalks arranged in pairs at leaf axils and it changes to bright red colour when ripens. The plant flowers round the year and bears fruits during April-June.

Family : Ebenaceae

Flowering: April-May

Fruiting: (Next Year) March-April

Botanical Description: The plant is a medium-sized tree growing up to 25 m, height and 1.9 m girth. The bark is black in colour, peeling in rectangular scales, which is an identifying feature. The leaves are eliptic-oblong, opposite or alternate, leathery, up to 35 cm long, velvety on both sides when young, becoming smooth above when fully grown. Male flowers are mauve in colour, sessile or nearly sessile in short peduncles, mostly 3-flowered. Female flowers mauve, mostly extra-axillary or sometimes solitary, axillary, opposite to each other, larger than the male flowers. Fruits olive green in colour, ovoid or globose 3-4 cm across, 1-8 seeded berries. Seeds are compressed, oblong and shiny.

Family : Ebenaceae

Flowering: March-April

Fruiting: March-April (Next Year)

Botanical Description: The plant is an evergreen tree with a spreading crown. It can grow up to 37 m tall, with a trunk girth of 2 m. The bark is black, smooth, and the inner bark turns bluish on exposure to sunlight. Leaves are oblong and glossy. The male flowers are formed in 3-5 flowered cymes in leaf axils. Female flowers are solitary. Fruits are round, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, yellow when ripe with a juicy pulp.

Family : Dioscoreaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: July-December

Botanical description: The plant is a perennial climbing plant. Tubers are irregular, usually long ovoid, transverse section white when fresh, becoming brown. Roots fibrous. Leaves are compound, palmately divided into 3-5 leaflets, and alternately arranged on the twining stems. Male flowers are nearly stalkless and Female spikes are simple or branched. Capsules are thinly leathery, sparsely hairy and turns black at maturity.

Family : Dioscoreaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: August-October

Botanical description: Stem twining to the left, terete, tomentose. Leaves 3-foliolate, palmately divided into 3-5 subequal leaflets, broadly ovate, oblique at base, abruptly acuminate; petiole 15-18 cm long. Spikes are 30 cm long, densely tomentose, distantly flowered fascicles at nodes on long peduncle. Female flowers sessile; bracts 4 mm long, ovate; tepals 2 x 1 mm, oblong, acute, hairy. Capsule 25 x 15 mm, oblong, tomentose. Male flowers not seen.

Family : Dioscoreaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: September-October

Botanical description: Aerial yam is a glabrous-leafed, non-spiny, perennial climbing plant producing annual stems up to 10 metres long from a woody, tuberous rootstock. These stems scramble over the ground, or twine into the surrounding vegetation. The stems twine left-handed and produce aerial axillary bulbils. The plant produces tubers; however the bulbils which grow at the base of its leaves are more important food products. They are about the size of potatoes (hence the name air potato) weighing from 0.5 to 2 kg. The flowers are whitish or pinkish in colour.

Family : Dioscoreaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: Throughout the year

Botanical description: The plant is a vigorous, perennial, climbing plant, producing annual stems up to 15 metres long from a very large tuberous rootstock. Tubers of the plant are one to several, polymorphic, variously branched or lobed and hairy with small rootlets. The stems scramble over the ground, or twine into the surrounding vegetation. The stem is quadrangular, winged, and twines right-handed. Leaves are opposite, 7-18 x 4-10 cm, broadly ovate, base cordate with acuminate apex. Flowers are laxly arranged, sessile with 1-1.5 mm long and ovate bracts and fleshy tepals.

Family : Dilleniaceae

Flowering: May- June

Fruiting: September-February

Botanical Description: The plant is a moderate sized evergreen tree growing up to 15m tall. The leaves are deep green in colour, oblong to lanceolate and 15-36 cm in long. The flowers are white, large, up to 5 inches across. The fruit is rounded, 5-12 cm in diameter aggregate of 15 carpels with each carpel containing 5 seeds embedded in the pulp.

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Flowering: September-October

Fruiting: October-November

Botanical Description: The plant is an procumbent annual climber growing to 1.5m. The leaves are oval to kidney shaped with five to seven shallow lobes. Plants produce trailing vines and yellow flowers similar to cucumbers, but flowers may be male, female, or perfect. Fruit is spherical or ovoid, large, and can reach the size of a football, although it is generally more flattened. It is striped green or pale green in colour, ultimately turning yellow.

Family : Cucurbitaceae

Flowering & Fruiting: Most part of the year

Botanical Description: The plant is a climbing herb with angular stem and long tuberous root. The leaves are classified as palmately simple with five lobes while the shape varies from the heart to pentagon form. The size of the leaves is approximately 5-10 cm in width and length. The tendrils are long, elastic with coil-like springy character that can wrap around the host to the entire length. The flower is large and white about 4 cm in diameter and contains five long tubular petals. The fruit is oblong, narrowed apically or at both ends. The raw fruit is green in color and turns bright red when ripened. The seeds of the plant are oblong and compressed.

Family : Arecaceae

Flowering: February - March

Fruiting April - August

Botanical Description: The plant is a large tree and grows upto 30-40m. in height. The trunk may have a circumference of 1.7 m at the base. The leaves are palmate, leathery, gray green and 1-3 m in wide with folded along at the midrib. Flowers are 90-150 cm long and branched. Fruits are ovoid, 15-20 cm in diameter with fibrous and fleshy mesocarp.

Family : Oxalidaceae

Flowering: July-September

Fruiting: October-December

Botanical Description: The plant is a small evergreen tropical tree that grows upto 25 feet in height. The compound leaves are soft, medium green, spirally arranged around the branches in an alternate fashion. The leaflets are sensitive to light and fold inward at night. The flowers are small and bell shaped, with five petals that have whitish edges. The fruit is fleshy, have a thin and waxy skin, five lobbed, ovate to ellipsoid with attractive yellow-orange in colour.

Family : Moraceae

Flowering: December-January

Fruiting: June-July

Botanical Description: The plant is an evergreen tree that grows up to 20-30 meter tall and 80-200 cm in diameter with evergreen, alternate, glossy and leathery leaves reaching up to 9 inch long. Leaves are oval on mature trees. All parts of the plant contain sticky and white latex. Inflorescence is solitary, borne axillary on special lateral short leafy shoots arising from older branches. Fruits are large arising from the tree trunk and weighting about 10-50 kg. the exterior of the fruit is green or yellow when riped and composed of numerous hard, cone like points attached to a thick and rubbery, pale yellow or whitish wall.