Spanish Cherry Tree (Mimusops elengi)

Mimusops elengi is a medium-sized evergreen tree found in tropical forests in South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia. English common names include Spanish cherry, Sinhala name Munamal. Common Names : Tanjong Tree, Bunga Tanjung, Red Coondoo, Tanjong, Spanish Cherry, Medlar, Bullet Wood, Bunga Mengkula, Mengkulah, Mengkulang. medlar, and bullet wood. Its timber is valuable, the fruit is edible, and it is used in traditional medicine. As the trees give thick shade and flowers emit fragrance, it is a prized collection of gardens. Its flower is the provincial flower of Yala Province, Thailand. Botanical name:-Mimusops elengi Family nameAPOTACEAE Sinhala name:-Munamal English name :-Bullet-wood tree Tamil name :-Makil / Mukalai / Vilva-padri Sanskirt name :-Bakulah Grows inri Lanka,India,Southeast Asia and northern Australia Edibal parts:-None Status:-Native Ayurvedic usage:- Treatment for:-Fever,Leucorrhoea,Dysentry,Mouth ulcers,Candida infection Parts used to make medicine:-Roots ,Barks,Seeds, Twigs. Propagationeeds Bullet wood is an evergreen tree reaching a height of about 16 m (52 ft). It flowers in April, and fruiting occurs in June. Leaves are glossy, dark green, oval-shaped, 5–14 cm (2.0–5.5 in) long, and 2.5–6 cm (0.98–2.36 in) wide. Flowers are cream, hairy, and scented. Bark is thick and appears dark brownish black or grayish black in colour, with striations and a few cracks on the surface. The tree may reach up to a height of 9–18 m (30–59 ft) with about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in circumference. The bark, flowers, fruits, and seeds of Bakula are used in Ayurvedic medicine in which it is purported to be astringent, cooling, anthelmintic, tonic, and febrifuge. It is mainly used for dental ailments such as bleeding gums, pyorrhea, dental caries, and loose teeth. Foliage: The leaves are thick, oblong, simple, and spirally arranged, between 5-12cm long and 3-6cm wide. Various parts of the tree have medicinal properties. It is used in the treatment and maintenance of oral hygiene. Rinsing mouth with water solution made with bakul helps in strengthening the teeth. It also prevents bad breath and helps keep the gums healthy. Flowers: The flowers are very small, about 1.2cm wide, creamy-white, star-shaped and borne in small clusters on the leaf axils. They are bisexual, with 8 white petals, each with two side lobes, joined into a star-like corolla with 24 points and they fall off as a ring. There are 8 fertile stamens, alternating with 8 staminodes. The flowers open at twilight and gradually become very fragrant through the night, until the next morning when they are shed. Fruits: The fruits are oval, pointed and similar in size to small olives (2-3cm long). They turn from green to orange-red when ripe. The seeds are dark brown or black, and are surrounded by edible yellow flesh. Fruit eaten by Fruit Pigeons. Cooper & Cooper (1994). An attractive tree that will withstand salt laden winds and often grows on the beach front. It has good shape and the flowers and fruits are showy. Fruits are sought after by birds. This is a small, bushy tree with a conical shaped crown when young, and a dense, bushy, rounded crown when mature. Landscaping Use:The Tanjong Tree is commonly planted along roadsides in Singapore, especially in residential estates, as its compact size makes it highly suitable for narrower planting verges, and it also has the added attraction of bearing fragrant flowers.Ethnobotanical Use:The flowers are used for adornment and to distill scented water in India. The leaves, flowers, bark and seeds are variously used in local medicines in the Malay Archipelago. There is currently one individual of Mimusops elengi listed as Heritage Tree in Singapore. It can be found on Sentosa.