Mayur ji, nice photo. Regards, Mani. On Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 3:51 PM, Mayur Nandikar <[email protected]>wrote:
> Hello > > *Balanites aegyptiaca *(L. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus>) > Delile <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alire_Raffeneau_Delile>, 1812 > Syn. *Ximenia aegyptiaca* L. > Picture taken near Jodhpur (Rajasthan) > > * Balanites aegyptiaca* is a species of > tree<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree>, > classified either as a member of the > Zygophyllaceae<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygophyllaceae> or > the > Balanitaceae<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balanitaceae&action=edit&redlink=1>.This > tree is native to much of Africa <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa> and > parts of theMiddle East <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East>.This is > one of the most common trees in > Senegal<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal>.It > can be found in many kinds of habitat, tolerating a wide variety of > soil<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil> types, > from sand <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand> to heavy > clay<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay>, > and climatic moisture levels, from arid<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arid> to > subhumid. It is relatively tolerant of flooding, livestock activity, and > wildfire <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire>. > > The yellow, single-seeded <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed> > fruit <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit> is edible, but > bitter<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taste#Bitterness>. Many > parts of the plant are used asfamine > foods<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_food> in > Africa; the leaves are eaten raw or cooked, the oily seed is boiled to make > it less bitter and eaten mixed with > sorghum<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorghum>, > and the flowers can be eaten.The tree is considered valuable in arid regions > because it produces fruit even in dry times. The fruit can be > fermented<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fermentation> > for alcoholic beverages <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_beverage> > . > [Information compiled from > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanites_aegyptiaca] > > > Thank you > -- > Mr. Mayur D. Nandikar, > Research Student, > Department of Botany, > Shivaji University, > Kolhapur. >
