JAMUN

The evergreen jamun plant is originally from Indonesia and India. Indian mythology describes the Indian subcontinent as an island, 'situated in the centre of the world', called Jambudweep. Because of a majority of Jamun (black berry) trees, this island was named as Jambudweep. An evergreen tropical tree, 50 to 100 ft. tall, with oblong opposite leaves that are smooth, glossy and having a terpentine smell. Jamun has fragrant white flowers in branched clusters at stem tips and purplish-black oval edible berries. The leaves are antibacterial, and are used for strengthning the teeth and gums. The fruit and seeds are sweet, acrid, sour, tonic, and cooling, and are used in diabities, diarrhoea and ringworm. The bark is astringent, sweet sour, diuretic, digestive and anthelmintic.

• Extracts are very useful in diabetes and reduce blood sugar.
• Decoction used as mouth-wash and gargle and powder in diarrhoea and dysentery.
• Flowers are also a major source of honey in North India.
• The fruit possesses antibiotic properties and is used to formulate medicines to treat a number of ailments.
• Fruits are widely used for making jelly, jam, preserve, squash and -making.
• The seeds are used an effective medicine against diabetes.
• Fresh fruits are tasty to eat and also if taken with salt
• Juice of the raw fruit is used to fabricate vinegar.
• Bark is used for dyeing and tanning.