Palaquium ellipticum (Dalzell) Baill.

 

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonym: Croixia elliptica (Dalzell) Baehni 

Vernacular name: Choppala, Iluppakkai, Pachendi, Pali, Panchendi

Habit:  Tree

Habitat: Evergreen forests

Distribution:  India

Flowering and Fruiting: February-July

Key identification features: Evergreen trees can reach heights of up to 30m. Their bark is dark brown with white mottling. The leaves are simple, alternate, and spiral, forming clusters toward the tip. They lack stipules. The leaf lamina elliptic or elliptic-obovate in shape. The tree produces bisexual, fragrant white flowers in axillary fascicles. The stamens are 12-20. The fruit is a fleshy, ellipsoid berry, and appears smooth and green.

Uses: The tree yields a second-rate quality of 'Gutta-percha', collected by tapping the living tree this substance is used for waterproofing and cement.

Manilkara zapota (L.) P.Royen

 

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonym: Lucuma zapota (L.) Urb. 

Vernacular name: Chiku,Sapodilla,Sapota

Habit: tree

Habitat: Open areas

Distribution:  India, Tropical America

Flowering and Fruiting: August - October. 

Key identification features: A small, evergreen tree having a crown of branches with milky latex in young parts. Leaves are elliptic-lanceolate, smooth shining, dark green above and pale beneath arranged almost in whorl manner at the apex of branches. Flowers pale yellow, clustered at the apex of branches. Fruit a berry, globose, rusty and sweet scented when ripe

Uses: fruit edible

Chrysophyllum cainito L.

 

Family: Sapotaceae

Synonym: Chrysophyllum sericeum Salisb. 

Vernacular name: Abiaba,Aguay,Caimito,Estrella

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Cultivated, also runs wild

Distribution:  West Indies, Central America

Flowering and Fruiting: July-September

Key identification features: These trees grow up to 25m in height. Their bark is greyish to dark brownish-black, with shallow vertical cracks. The leaves are simple and alternate, arranged in a distichous pattern. The flowers appear in axillary fascicles of 5-30. The corolla is white. The stamens number 5. The fruit is globose and is purplish-brown and glabrous..

 Uses: For curing diabetes and fighting against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.  The leaf extract increases wound healing speed and assists in regulating fat uptake.

Mimusops elengi L.

 

 Family: Sapotaceae

Synonym: Kaukenia elengi (L.) Kuntze 

Vernacular name: Bakulam,Elanchi,Elangi,Elengi,Elenji,Ilanni,Mukura

Habit: Tree

Habitat: cultivated

Distribution: Indo-Malesia

Flowering & Fruiting: August - December

Key identification features: The large trees, reaching heights of up to 35 m, are adorned with dark grey bark. Their leaves are simple, alternating along the branches in a spiral pattern. The trees bloom with white flowers that cluster in axillary fasicles. Fruit is a berry that turn a reddish-brown hue upon ripening, each containing a single seed.

Uses: The bark is used for cooling, a cardio tonic, alexipharmic, stomachic, anthelmintic and astringent which cures biliousness.

Madhuca bourdillonii (Gamble) H.J.Lam

 

 Family: Sapotaceae.

Synonym: Bassia bourdillonii Gamble 

Vernacular names: Ponavu Thandidiyan

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Semi-evergreen forests

Distribution: Southern Western Ghats

Flowering and fruiting: November-July

Key identification features: This tree species can grow up to 30 m tall. The leaves are simple, alternate, and clustered at branch tips. It has yellowish-white bisexual flowers in axillary fascicles, with a bell-shaped corolla and 24 stamens. The fruit is a green, smooth berry with 4-5 seeds.

 Uses: Astringent and emollient prepared from the bark extract are used to medicate fracture, swelling, itching, snake bite, wounds along cure of leprosy