Elaeocarpus serratus

Elaeocarpus serratus
Elaeocarpus serratus (Veralu / Ceylon Olive) fruits
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Oxalidales
Family:	Elaeocarpaceae
Genus:	Elaeocarpus
Species:	E. serratus
Binomial name
Elaeocarpus serratus Linnaeus, 1753 [1]

This is a tropical fruit found in the Indian Subcontinent, Indo-China and South East Asia. It is an ornamental medium sized tree indigenous to Sri Lanka, producing smooth, ovoid green fruits. The fruit has nutritive and medicinal values.

Taxonomy

The botanical name is Elaeocarpus serratus. Classified by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753.^[1] Belongs to genus Elaeocarpus and Family Elaeocarpaceae.

Distribution

It is an Asia-tropical fruit tree. Found in India - Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Nepal and Sri Lanka in the Indian Subcontinent. Also found in Indo-China - Myanmar and Indonesia and Malaysia.^[2]

Could be commonly found in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.^[3]

Local Names

Known as Veralu in Sinhala, Veralikkai in Tamil and as Ceylon Olive in English.^[3]

Description

It is an ornamental medium sized tree. Bears smooth ovoid green fruits^[4] the size of about 2.5cm long. Recommended varieties are local cultivars (round and oval fruits).^[3] It has a brown coloured seed inside the fruit.

Nutritive and medicinal values

The fruits are high in starch and sugar.Has low amounts of protein and iron. Good for diarrhoea due to its constipating effect.^[3]

See Also

Elaeocarpus
Elaeocarpus coriaceus

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum, Tomus I: 515
2. ^ National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. ((18 August 2011)). [URL: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14954 "Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]."] (in English). USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program.. URL: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?14954. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Department of Agriculture, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, Task Force on Fruits & Fruit Development Board (1997). Tropical Fruits of Sri Lanka. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Sri Lanka. p. 29. 
4. ^ M.F.Macmillan (1989). Handbook of Tropical Plants. pp. 560.