Myrlstlca malabarlca Lam.

MYRISTICACEAE

 

Vernacular names:

Hindi                  - Van jayphal

Kannada             - Kanage, Ohodda jaye kaayi

Malayalam           - Pannam panu, Kattu jathi, Chorapali

Sanskrit              - Malati

Tamil                  - Pathiri, Kattu jaathi kaai

Telugu                - Rampatri

 

Threat status:

Vulnerable (A 1 c,d) - Globally

 

Habit: Tree

 

Habitat: Evergreen forests

 

Altitude: 100 - 800 m

 

Distribution: Endemic to Western Ghats in Karnataka and Kerala. Regional: In Karnataka, occurs in evergreen forests of lower altitudes in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and Uduppi districts. In Kerala, fairly common in the evergreen forests of lower Ghats. Not reported from Tamil Nadu.

 

Description: A medium sized dioecious evergreen tree, growing 10-17 m tall and about 1.5 m girth. Barkgreenish-black, smooth, with projected lenticels, about 1 cm thick, partially fibrous, red inside, exuding deep red watery juice when cut fresh. Wood yellowish brown, tinged with grey, moderately hard. Branchlets hairless. Leaves alternate, linear-oblong or elliptic-oblong, 8-16 x 3-5 cm, base rounded, apex acute, margin entire, hairless, glossy, leathery, distinctly stalked; lateral nerves 8-14 pairs, slender, faint. Male and female flowers seen in separate trees. Male flowers clustered at the end of branches of panicles, with slender stalks, 5-6 mm long, creamy white, more or less hairless. Female flowers in small fascicles, ovoid, about 6 mm long, dull yellow. Capsules solitary or in pairs, cylindrically oblong, 5-9 x 3-5 em, brown tomentose. Seeds single, completely covered by golden yellow or red-coloured fleshy aril.

 

Phenology: Flowering: September to January; Fruiting: March to August

 

Medicinal uses: Aril of the seeds is used to check cough, bronchitis, fever and burning sensation. Fat obtained from the seeds relieves pain in muscles, sprains and sores.

 

Trade information: Local and regional. A possible adulterant to Myristica fragrans. The mace of Myristica malabarica commercially known as Rampattari is often adulterated with the true Jaatipatri (Myristica fragrans). Kernels are sometimes mixed with those of M. fragrans, the true source of Jaaiphal.

 

Mode of propagation: By seeds and stem cuttings

 

Special characters: The bark exudes deep red watery juice when cut. Fruits are cylindrical, brown tomentose, splitting vertically by 2­valves, exposing seeds completely covered with brightly coloured dissected aril.