GAURA KOLEE (Diospyros ferrea) A portion of gaura kolee tree   Family: Ebenaceae Synonyms: Maba byuxifolia, Pisonia buxifolia Other names: Angaru, black ebony, iron wood. Gaura koli is a quite widely distributed plant. It grows wild in Asian dry forests in Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malay Peninsula, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand

BLACK SAPOTE (Diospyros digyna)    A tree of black sapote Family: Ebenaceae Synonyms: Diospyros ebenaster, Diopyros nigra. Other names: Chocolate sapote Black sapote originated in Central America.  With time, it reached many parts of the world and now is being grown in the Philippines, Malacca, Maurius, Hawai, Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.             This fruit is

MABOLO (Diospyros blancoi) A tree of mabolo     Synonym: Diospyros discolor, Diospyros philippensis. English name: Velvet apple Mabolo is indigenous to the Philippines. It is a plant of very common occurrence there and is widely distributed in primary and secondary forests at low and medium altitudes. Besides Philippines, it is also distributed in Taiwan.  It is

LONGAN (Dimocarpus longan)   A tree of longan    Family: Sapindaceae Synonyms: Euphoria longana, Nephelium longana. Longan is a minor but popular fruit of the tropics.  It is believed to be a native of South China.  It is cultivated from Southern China to several South East Asian countries, Srilanka and

ALUPAG (Dimocarpus didyma) A tree of alupag   Family:  Sapindaceae. Synonyms: Litchi chinensis ssp. philippinensis. Alupag is a very tasty fruit from South East Asia.  It is endemic to the Philippines but has now reached other counties too.  It is a close relative of litchi and bears tasty fruits.  It is cultivated

KATMON (Dillenia philippinensis) A tree of katmon Family: Dilleniaceae Synonyms: Dilenia speciosa Other names:   Bihis, kulammbug, palali. Katmon seems to be a native of the Philippines.  This is found growing wild in forests at low and medium altitudes through out the country. Fruits of katmon Description: A medium sized evergreen tree

CHALTA (Dillenia indica) A tree of chalta   English name: Elephant apple Chalta is probably a native of India .  It is found growing wild in Indian forests along the base of Himalayas from Nepal to Meghalaya.  It is also found in dry hilly regions of Bihar, Orissa, Madhaya Pradesh in

 AWIN (Dialium guineense) A tree of awin   Family: Fabaceae – Caesalpinioideae Synonyms: Dialium guianeense Other names: Kosito Awin is a native of West Africa.  It grows wild in the forests of many countries of that region. Description: A large tree upto 30 m high, with a densely leafy crown, but often shrubby;  bole without

LUK YEE (Dialium indum) A young plant of luk yee Family: Leguminosae Synonyms: Dialum cochinchinense Other names:  Velvet tamarind. Luk yee occurs wild in Thailand, Malaysia and some other parts of the South East Asia.  The flavour of this fruit resembles that of tamarind.  That is why it is also called

DANGLEBERRY (Gaylussacia frondosa) Dangleberry bushes growing wild in forest     Family: Ericaceae Synonyms: Decachaena frondosa Other names: Blue huckleberry. Dangleberry is plant of the Eastern United States.  The plant is virtually a look alike of blueberry. Description: A freely branched slender deciduous shrub, upto 2 m tall, with wide spreading branches.