Clammy Cherry

Cordia dichotoma is a small to moderate-sized deciduous tree with a short bole and spreading crown. The stem bark is greyish brown, smooth or longitudinally wrinkled. Flowers are short-stalked, bisexual, white in colour which open only at night. The fruit is a yellow or pinkish-yellow shining globose which turns black on ripening and the pulp gets viscid.

Cordia dichotoma is native to China (Fujian, Guangdong Guangxi, Guizhou, southeast Tibet, and Yunnan) the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Taiwan, India (including East and West Himalayas,), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Australia (Northern Territory and Queensland), New Caledonia and Vanuatu. It is a tree of tropical and subtropical regions. It is found in a variety of forests ranging from the dry deciduous forests of Rajasthan to the moist deciduous forests of Western Ghats and tidal forests in Myanmar. It has been introduced into Cuba, Florida, Guatemala, Leeward Islands, Marianas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Tobago, Trinidad and the Windward Islands.

The immature fruits are used in South Asian pickles, and as a vegetable fodder. The leaves yield good fodder. The fruits of C. dichotoma are edible. 'Joshanda' is a Unani herbal medicine, known for its ability to manage colds, coughs, sore throats, nasal congestion, respiratory problems, and fevers. It consists of seeds of 'Khatmi' (Althaea officinalis), fruits of 'Sapistan' (Cordia dichotoma), dried rhizomes of 'mulethi '(Glycyrrhiza glabra), seeds of 'Khubbazi' (Malva rotundifolia), leaves of 'Gaozaban' (Onosma bracteatum), flowers of Banafsha (Viola odorata) and the dried fruits of 'Unnab' (Ziziphus jujuba). Its fruits of C. dichotoma are a rich source of polysaccharides and are potential sources of phytochemicals with antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

The species is the symbol of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province in Thailand.

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