Sonneratia caseolaris

Scientific name: Sonneratia caseolaris (L.) Engl.

Family: Sonneratiaceae

Synonym: Sonneratia ovalis Korth.

Bengali/Vernacular name: Ora, Orali, Shouila.

English name: Apple mangrove, Crabapple mangrove.

Description of the plant: A small evergreen tree, up to 15 m tall. Leaves petiolate, elliptic-oblong or obovate, 5-13 cm long, coriaceous, mucronate at the apex, base cuneate, entire. Flowers solitary or in few-flowered dichasia, red colours. The fruit is large, about 4 cm across, green, leathery berries with a star-shaped base.

Plant parts used: Leaf, flower, fruit.

Ethnomedicinal uses: Juice extracted from the half-ripe fruits of the plant is taken twice a day (5 ml amount each time) until the cough is cured.

Pounded leaves are used for haematuria and smallpox.

An extract is made with the leaves of the plant is used to wash wounded place twice a day to treat bruise.

Fresh juice extracted from the fruits of the plant is advised to take for the treatment of fever.

The juice of the flowers is used to treat urinary tract infection.

Distribution: The species is found in Barishal, Chittagong, and Khulna districts.

Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….