Thanks a lot Viplav ji for showing an uncommon characteristic of this tree, I never knew about it before. I have some of these Bhendi trees near my house in Mumbai.
On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 10:24 PM, Sonia Chauhan <[email protected]> wrote: > > Excellent post! Often we tend to dismiss the widespread trees with a > passing glance, so it is fascinating to learn something so interesting > about a common tree. Thanks Viplav for sharing these remarkable > observations. > > On 10 December 2012 12:34, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Sharing some fresh insights into one of the commonest trees in and around > > Mumbai. On a recent visit to a tribal hamlet in Dahanu, I encountered some > > natives collecting the fruit of Thespesia populnea. On probing further, one > > of them slashed a young green fruit and it discharged a copious amount of > > rich yellow juice that is used as a decorative pigment; in this case, to > > paint the hooves of their cattle! Later, while discussing this with a > > senior Warli musician and artist, I learnt that this pigment is > > used occasionally in minor embellishments. > > > > Further investigation revealed that this substance is gossypol. While > > The Trees of Mumbai (by Almeida & Chaturvedi, pg. 159) mentions that "the > > seeds contain a chemical called gossypol", the yellow exudate from the > > fruit wall appears to be discounted in customary descriptions of this tree. > > Here is an interesting account of this facet in a paper on this species > > by Francis Raymond Fosberg & Marie-Hélène Sachet: > > > > "When a bud or young fruit is cut transversally a copious yellow, gummy > > fluid exudes from the surfaces. We had not seen this mentioned before, nor > > were we aware of latex in any Malvaceae. Roxburgh, however, mentioned it in > > his discussion of Thespesia (as Hibiscus) in the Flora Indica, 1832 (vide > > infra); a label on a plant collected by Lt. Speke on Europa Island (P) also > > describes the appearance of a canary-colored juice on cutting a green fruit > > ... Dr. Paul Fryxell (in litt.) tells us that this yellow substance is > > mostly gossypol. It probably should not be called latex in the strict > > sense." - Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, Volume 7, 1972. > > > > Didn't have a camera on hand but have attached a mobile phone snapshot. > > > > Best wishes, Viplav > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Regards, > > Sonia Chauhan > > -- > > > -- Kind regards, Rashmi --
