Buchanania cochinchinensis - Priyala

Priyala, Buchanania cochinchinensis

Priyala, is a moderate sized tree of the dry forests of peninsular India, whose fruits and kernels are much valued as food. The fruits have a sweet and sour taste and the kernels, called chironji have a rich almond like flavour, which are also used in making sweets.

Uses

Gastritis, Burning sensation, Fever, Aphrodisiac, Excessive thirst.

Parts Used

Fruits, Seed kernel, Bark

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	murkalu, kolemaavu
Hindi	char, charoli, chironji,
Malayalam	cheru, kalamavu, moongapezhu, mungaperlu, munnalperu
Tamil	cara paruppu, kattu-ma, saraiparuppu
Telugu	chaara, charumaamidi, chinna morli, sarapappu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	kharaskandha, rajadana, bahulavalkala, priyala, chara
English	Cudappah almond

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Rasa

Madhura (Sweet)

Guna

Snigdha (Oily), Guru (Heavy)

Veerya

Sheeta (cold)

Karma

Pitta, vata

Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	alternate	petiole 12-22 mm, stout, glabrous; lamina 10-23.5 x 5-12 cm, broadly oblong, base round or acute, apex obtuse or emarginate, margin entire, glabrous above and densely tomentose beneath, coriaceous; lateral nerves 10-20 pairs, pinnate, prominent, pubescent, secondary laterals prominent, intercostae reticulate, prominent.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Terminal and axillary panicles	Greenish white	5	calyx lobes 5, persistent; petals 5, oblong, reflexed, pilose; stamens 10, inserted at the base of fleshy disc; filaments free, glabrous; disc cupular, 5 lobed, pilose; carpels 5-6, free, superior, tomentose, 4 reduced to thread like processes, one fertile, ovule one, pendulous; style lateral; stigma truncate.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
A drupe	10-13 x 8 mm	oblong, laterally compressed, black; stone hard, 2 valved; seed one.			{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area.

Photo Gallery

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  Leaves

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  Seeds

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  Whole tree

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  Flowers

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  Stem

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  Buds

External Links

• Buchanania cochinchinensis on the ferns.info
• Buchanania cochinchinensis on india biodiversity.org
• Buchanania cochinchinensis on ayur times.com