Scientific name: Elaeocarpus floribundusBlume.
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Synonym: Elaeocarpus ramsoii Kunth
Bengali/Vernacular name: Jalpai (Bengali), Belphoi (Sylhet).
Tribal name: Eehong chae (Chak), Soh-jolphai (Khasia), Pawngbal (Lushai), Anuran (Pangkhoa), Aahowng-sthei (Rakhaing).
English name: Indian olive, Rugged oil fruit.
Description of the plant: A medium-sized to large tree, up to 20 m tall. Leaves alternate, ovate to elliptic-ovate, 8-15 cm long, acute to acuminate with a cuneate or rounded base, coarsely serrate, glabrous, minutely blistered when dry, turning bright red before fall. Racemes 7-8 cm long, 20-25 flowered. Flowers white, 6-7 mm across, pedicels 7-8 mm, thinly appressed hairy. Fruit a drupe, light green, smooth, fleshy, edible, ellipsoid to obovoid, stones tapering on both ends, 1-seeded. Seed 2 cm long, spindle-shaped.
Plant parts used: Leaf.
Medicinal uses: Leaf paste is applied on the affected part of the body for the treatment of cutting wound.
Distribution: This species is cultivated over all the country, also occurs wild in the evergreen forests of Sylhet, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar districts, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….
