GEDRAPHOL

(Willughbeia edulis)

Gedraphol plant 

Family: Apocynaceae

Other names: Chittagong rubber, luti aam.

Gedraphol is found in the north eastern part of India, the region which is adjacent to Myyanmar. 

Description:

A woody climber, with long hooked tendrils.

Flowers fragrant.

A gedraphol fruit on tree

Fruits yellow or red, 5.0 – 7.5 cm long and 3.8-5.6 cm wide, resembling small mangoes, edible.

Utilization:

Gedraphol fruits taste pleasantly acid and are popularly eaten by local people.

Assortment of gedraphol fruits

            This plant yields a cautchouc which contains about25-27 per cent rubber.  The cautchouc also yields 55-85 per cent resin.

Cultivation:

Gedraphol vines are sometimes planted around homes by local people.  New plants are raised from seed.