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Introduction
Erythroxylum monogynum Roxb [Author -Roxburgh and Willium [1978] is a shrub or small tree about 7 m to 9 m height. O. E. Schulz placed this species in Sethia Section1. This was commonly found in India, Srilanka2, Mayanmar. In India it mostly found in states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh it found in places like Talakona of Chittoor district, Nellore, Batrepalli and kanwashram of Anantapur district, Vishakapatnam and Godavari districts. Erythroxylum monogynum contains a lot of vernacular names in respective regional languages.3
Various Vernacular Names of Erythroxylum Monogynum
English: Bastard sandal, Red cedar.
Telugu: Paribadrakamu, Gatiri, Adivi goranti, Pagadapu, Gaadara.
Tamil: Ayakkantamaram, Cakkaratapam, Cemmanatti, Citari, Vattukkolli.
Kannada: Chambalu, Jeevadaali, Jeevadaane, Gandhagaru.
Malayalam: Devaru, Chem, Chemmana.
Irulu: Sembulichan.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiosperms
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Erythroxylaceae
Genus: Erythroxylum
Species: monogynum
Botanical Profile
The leaves are simple and are arranged alternatively distichous, they are obovate in shape. The leaf blade length is about 2.5 to 6.5 x 1-3 cm4,5. They are glossy light green and are about to 3-4 cm in length 1.5 cm in width with a half cm long petiole. The tip of leaf is rounded in shape. The leaf shows prominent midrib with pinnate reticulate venation.
The flowers are bisexual and are white in colour, auxillary, solitary or 1-4 in auxillary facsisles. There are 5-6 sepals which are ovate, acute and glabrous, There are 5-6 petals with white colour and are oblang with inner side containing ligule, imbricate, 10-12 stamens are present, they are monadelphous, the ovary is 3-4 celled, 3-4 styles are present and are unte to single style containing capitates stigma. The ovary is superior with 3-4 cells,1-2 ovules present in each cell.
The fruit is a drupe type. It is ellipsoid apiculate and glabrous. The fruit is blood red in colour with single seed. The fruit is edibile one which people eats generally. The fruit is green in colour when unripe and is bright scarlet at maturity. This fruit is about 1 cm in lenghth and 4 mm across and have single seed. At the stage of ripening the colour gradually turns to blood red colour
The bark of Erythroxylum monogynum is dark brown in...