Bridelia retusa - Ekavira

Ekavira, Bridelia retusa

Ekavira is a deciduous tree, usually growing up to 10 metres tall but occasionally to 20 metres. The bole is up to 30cm in diameter, armed with scattered, pointed thorns up to 4cm long. Trees may or may not possess spines on the trunk.The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, food and source of a good quality wood.

Uses

Diarrhea, Dysentery, Arthritis, Diabetes, Hemorrhoids, Wound healing

Parts Used

Bark, Leaves

Chemical Composition

The bark contains 16–40% tannin. Presence of a triterpene ketone in the bark is reported. Ripe fruit pulp contains beta-sitosterol and gallic and ellagic acids.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	garige, havugandha, mullabengha, mulluhonne, siruhonne
Hindi	ekdania, kasai
Malayalam	mulluvenga, mullangayam, komanci
Tamil	acavai, adamarudu, malaivengai, mullumarathu, mulluvengai
Telugu	bontavegi, dudimaddi, errabottuka, mulu maddi, peddaanem, putta karakasalaaka
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	asana, ekadivi, ekavira, mahavira, pasanabheda, sakridvira, suvarika
English

Properties

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

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Snigdha (Oily)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Karma

Pitta, Vata

Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	alternate	5-22 x 3-11 cm, broadly elliptic, oblong, elliptic-oblong, obovate or obovate-oblong, apex obtuse retuse or subacute, base round, obtuse, truncate, cordate or acute, margin entire or slightly crenulate, bright green and glabrous above(turning pinkish-brown before falling), glaucous and usually finely tomentose beneath, coriaceous; stipules 7 mm long, lateral, lanceolate, deciduous; petiole 9-15 mm long, stout, pubescent when young; lateral nerves 14-25 pairs, parallel, prominent, dichotomously forked near the margin, intercostae scalariform, prominent.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
unisexual	axillary or terminal dense clusters	greenish yellow	5	some times paniculate spikes often exceeding the leaves; bracts scaly. Male flowers: 7 mm across, tepals 10, biseriate, valvate; outer tepals 3 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, thick, truncate, shortly connate, acute, inner ones 2 mm, obovate, cuneate, obtuse, fimbriate; stamens 5, monadelphous, born on a gonophore, exserted; filaments 0.7 mm, anthers oblong; pistillode bifurcate; disc annular. Female flowers: 6.5 mm across, tepals 10, biseriate, lanceolate, valvate; outer and inner 2.5 and 1.5 mm long, coriaceous, puberulous without, truncate, shortly connate, fimbriate, acute; ovary half inferior, globose, 2 x 1 mm, 2-locular, ovules 2 in each cell; styles 2, forked, 2 mm; stigmatiferous; disc with an inner, membranous, fimbriate corona enclosing basal part of ovary.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
A drupe	7 - 8 mm		purplish-black, seated on the persistent, slightly enlarged calyx, pyrenes 2, epicarp crustaceous; seed one in each pyrene.		{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Acid treatment before sowing. Should be planted in the full sun; no aftercare is necessary

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area.

Photo Gallery

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  Young leaves

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  Leaves

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  Flowers

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  Fruits

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  Leaves and fruit

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  Spines

External Links

• [1]
• [2]