Dillenia indica - Bhavya

Bhavya, Dillenia indica

Bhavya , Elephant apple is a very ornamental evergreen tree with a rounded crown and large corrugated leaves that can grow up to 30 metres tall, though is usually smaller. The bole can be 120cm in diameter, often branching from low down. The plant provides an edible fruit, polish, soap and medicines for the local people.

Uses

Cough, Pulp used as shampoo, Bad breath, Improves digestion, Goo for scalp

Parts Used

Fruits

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	bettakanagalu, kal tega, naaythaeku
Hindi	chalta, girnar
Malayalam	punna, syalita, valappunna, valapunna, vazchapunnai
Tamil	uvatteku, uvav, kattarali, kurukati
Telugu	kalinga, muchiru, peda kalinga, revadi chettu, uppu ponna, uva
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	bhavya, bhavyam, ruvya, picchila beeja
English	Elephant apple

Properties

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

Rasa

Madhura (Sweet), Amla (Sour), Kashaya (Astringent)

Guna

Guru(Heavy), Picchila (Slimy)

Veerya

Sheeta (cold)

Vipaka

Madhura (Sweet)

Karma

Vata

Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	alternate	Petiole 15-75 mm long, stout, sheathing, winged, tomentose, grooved above; lamina 18.5-30 × 5-10 cm, elliptic, oblanceolate, elliptic-oblanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, base cuneate, acute or attenuate, apex acute or acuminate, margin serrate to dentate, glabrous above, strigose or pubescent beneath; lateral nerves many, parallel, prominent, intercostae scalariform, faint.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	Terminal	White		12-15 cm across, solitary, white, terminal; pedicel 4-8 cm long, silky hairy; bracts to 5 mm long, solitary, median on pedicels, lanceolate; sepals 5, 4-6 × 3-5 cm, obovate, orbicular or elliptic, thick, fleshy; petals 5, 7-9 × 5-6 cm, obovate or oblong, white, veins green; stamens many, cohering slightly at base, in 2 series, outer 13-15 mm long, inner ones 20-22 mm long, inner ones arching over the short outer ones; carpels 14-20, cohering at the axis, ovules many; styles free, 18-25 mm long, flattened, oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, spreading, white. Pseudocarps yellowish-green, globular with enclosed sepals, 10-12 cm across.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
aggregate of berries	3.5 × 1.5 cm		Globular, covered by overlapping circular scales	seeds 5, 6×4 mm, reniform, compressed, reddish, echinate with hairy margins.	{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area, Sub tropical area

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/indian-medicinal-plants/d/doc213964.html
• http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dillenia+indica