ASSAM APPLE
(Docynia indica)
Photo: Chiranjit Parmar
Assam apple fruits
Family:
Rosaceae
Synonyms:
Docynia hookerii, Docynia rufifolia, Malus docynoides, Pyrus indica, Pyrus rufifolia.
Other names:
Docynia, tong, thunghurpu, mel, mehul, likung, soh-phoh.
Assam
apple
is a native of the
Eastern Himalayas. It is found in Eastern Himalayas from Nepal to China.
This plant
grows at open places, slopes, stream sides and thickets between the elevation of
2000 to 3000 metres Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal states of
India, and also in the Western China.
Though this
fruit is popularly called apple, but is seems to be more closely related to
quince (Cydonia oblonga) than apple.
Description:
Trees semi evergreen or deciduous, 2–3 m tall.
Leaves, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 3.5–8 × 1.5–2.3 cm, firmly
papery, abaxially sparsely pubescent or sub glabrous, adaxially glabrous,
lustrous, base broadly cuneate or sub rounded, margin shallowly crenate, rarely
serrate or entire only at apex, apex acute or acuminate; pedicel short or nearly
absent, pubescent.
Flowers 3–5-fascicled, 2.5 cm in diam.; sepals lanceolate or
triangular-lanceolate, 5–8 mm, both surfaces pubescent; petals white, oblong or
oblong-obovate, 1.2–1.6 cm × 5–9 mm; stamens 30, styles as long as stamens.
Fruit yellow, sub globose or ellipsoid, 2–3 cm in diam., slightly
pubescent when young; sepals persistent, erect.
Assam apple flowers in March April and the fruits mature in
September.
Utilization:
Fruits have an acidic
taste and are eaten fresh. These are also made into a local pickle. A tasty
jelly can also be prepared from Assam apple fruits.
The wood is
hard and close and even grained. It is for making tool handles. The branches
of Assam apple make walking sticks. The wood is also used for making drums.
Cultivation:
Assam apple is
sometimes planted in home gardens in East India for its fruits.
Assam apple is not very cold hardy by European or American
standards. It can withstand temperatures down to about -5 to 10 C.
It requires
a well-drained soil in a sunny position.
The plant
is propagated by seed. It can also be grafted on crab apple rootstock.
There
exists a lot of diversity in this fruit. Therefore, a lots of scope is there
for varieties improvement.
