GRAPEFRUIT - HISTORY, MEDICINAL USES, HEALTH BENEFITS: HOW TO MAKE GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA

GRAPEFRUIT, CITRUS x PARADISI

The grapefruit’s history is tied to that of the Shaddock or pomelo and it was first referred to as “the forbidden fruit” of Barbados by Griffith Hughes in 1750. Later Patrick Browne reported it in much the same way as growing in Jamaica; writing of it as “the smaller shaddock” in 1814. In the same year, John Lunan described it in this way in his “Hortus Jamaicensis” (Plants of Jamaica) "a variety of shaddock, but the fruit is smaller, having thin, tough, smooth, pale yellow rind." It is thought that it got the name grapefruit because of the way it grows, hanging in clusters like grapes from the tree. It is believed that it was a natural cross between an orange and a pomelo.

  Grapefruits come in three colours, yellow or blond, pink and red, the colours describing the flesh and not the rind. The best in terms of medicinal value for prevention of prostate health for men is the red grapefruit which contains lycopene which has been hailed as a natural Viagra. It seems to help men who have erectile dysfunction as well as maintaining the health of the prostate gland. Lycopene is also found in watermelons, apricots, tomatoes, papaya and guava. For men any of these fruit eaten every day will be beneficial especially if they drink green tea too. Grapefruit of all descriptions contain a lot of vitamins C, E and A as well as B-complex ones and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, selenium and zinc. They also contain some Omega -3 and -6 fatty acids and 16 amino acids. They have potent antioxidant properties and are good to ward off and help cure colds and flu as well as having anti-inflammatory properties so good for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. They are cardiovascular protective and protect against strokes and cancers too. Grapefruit also contains the phytonutrients, limonoids as do citrons and lemons which are believed to inhibit the growth of tumours. In vitro they have killed cancer cells of the lungs, colon, breast, prostate, skin, stomach and mouth. The pulp of citrus fruit including grapefruits contains glucarates, compounds which may help to prevent breast cancer. The bioflavonoid naringen in grapefruit repairs damaged DNA in human prostate cancer cells, so men really should add grapefruit to their diets.

  In Pakistan and India the pulp is believed to prevent and cure dysentery, diarrhoea enteritis, typhus and other digestive tract disorders, and a glass of equal parts of lemon juice and grapefruit juice banishes fatigue after a day’s work. Grapefruit juice is also an effective diuretic, and may also help eczema sufferers when it is drunk. Grapefruit also lowers cholesterol levels.

  Grapefruit stimulate the appetite so are good for appetizers; try segments of grapefruit on a bed of Cos/Romaine lettuce with prawns and avocados and a simple lemon dressing.

  If you like Margaritas try this one with grapefruit instead of lemon juice.

GRAPEFRUIT MARGARITA

Ingredients

grapefruit segments cut into quarters

salt

¾ cup of grapefruit juice

6 oz tequila

2 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

2 cups cracked ice

Method

Rub the cut grapefruit segments around the rim of cocktail glasses then swirl them in a mound of salt to coat the rims.

Blend the liquids until smooth.

Pour into cocktail glasses and garnish with a grapefruit quarter on each rim.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

MONKEY POD TREE OR RAIN TREE - HISTORY, USES AND INFORMATION

MONKEY POD TREE, RAIN TREE, ALBIZIA SAMAN

The Monkey Pod tree is very distinctive with its huge canopy which can grow if unobstructed to 200 feet. It can reach heights of 100 feet, so is an impressive tree. In Venezuela it is said that Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) once camped his whole army under a Monkey Pod tree near Maracay. This tree is native to Central and South America but has spread to some Caribbean Islands where it has become naturalized as it is believed to have been taken these in the 16^th century. It is also naturalized in Hawaii where it was grown from a seed in 1847 and it is thought that this original plant is the ancestor of all Monkey pod trees on the islands. It can also be seen in parts of Florida. It was introduced to Fiji and Vanuatu, but is regarded as an invasive pest there. It also grows in Thailand where it is host to the lac insect from which we get shellac. In the Philippines it is known as mimosa because it is in the Mimosoideae family, while it is known as saman in Latin America from the alternative Latin name for this tree, Samanea saman. The flowers look like pink and white powder puffs.

  It is related to Albizia lebbeck which grows in Asia, and is a member of the Fabaceae or Mimosaceae family so is related to other pod bearing trees such as carob and the neem tree. The long pods (4 – 8 inches long) contain a sweet sticky pulp and seeds, all of which have a liquorice flavour. It is known as the liquorice tree in parts of the Caribbean. However it is not advisable to eat more than one pod because of their astringency.

  The Monkey Pod tree is called this perhaps because monkeys are fond of the pods and sit in the trees eating them. The tree’s name in Greek, Pithecellobium means “monkey earring” and is one of the tree’s botanical names. It is called the Rain tree perhaps for several reasons; one might be that any grass or vegetation under the tree is lush and green even in times of drought. This is because the tree has nyctinastic leaf movements like Choi-Moi or the Tickle Me plant; its leaves close and curl up at night so that any rain that falls hits the ground more easily than it would under a tree with ordinary leaves. The pods and flowers are nitrogen rich and when they fall and decay, the nitrogen goes into the soil. Plants need this to make chlorophyll which gives them their green colour, so perhaps this is why there is lush vegetation under the Rain tree. Farmers like the trees because they are nitrogen fixers and they also grow quickly, the durable, hard wood is sustainable and eco-friendly so can be used for furniture and hand-carved bowls and decorative pieces. In Thailand the tree is host to the lac insect from which we get shellac.

  The seeds and pods can be fed to animals and the contents of the pods are made into a refreshing soft drink something like tamarind water in the West Indies. The seeds are washed to remove the sticky pulp, and dried then used to make jewellery such as necklaces and other decorative items.

  Modern medical research has shown that the Monkey Pod tree has antibacterial and anti-fungal activities and can fight Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and E. coli infections. An alcohol extract of the leaves may inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but more research is needed.

  In the West Indies the leaves are chewed to relieve toothache, and a root decoction is used in hot baths in Venezuela for stomach cancer. An infusion of the leaves is given for constipation and in the Philippines a decoction of the inner bark and the fresh leaves is given for diarrhoea. A boiled bark poultice is used to cure constipation too.

It's my tree

  The flowers attract honey bees as well as birds, moths and other insects, and locals enjoy the honey produced from the nectar, but it is only consumed in the locality of the growing trees.

  It is another of Nature’s wonderful health-giving trees.

PEAR OR NASHPATI - HISTORY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF PEAR FRUIT: ROQUEFORT, PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD RECIPE

PEAR, NASHPATI IN URDU, PYRUS COMMUNIS

It is believed that pears originated in Western Asia and in south-eastern Europe in the Caucasus mountain region. The wild pear was small and hard and gritty, but was probably found by the Neolithic hunter-gatherers. Pears have certainly been around for millennia, and were cultivated in western Asia at least 3,000 years ago. The Himalayan wild pear still grows in the subcontinent and wild pear trees can be found still in Europe.

  Homer speaks of pears in his epic poem “The Odyssey” and pears were sacred to the Greek and Roman goddesses Aphrodite or Venus, Hera or Juno and the Roman goddess of the harvest and gardens Pomona. The Romans ate them at the end of their meals along with other fruit such as pomegranates, figs and walnuts, and the Greek Theophrastus (371-286BC) suggests that pear cultivation was common in his day. Pliny, writing later says that Falerian pears were the best for making wine and others were good only when boiled with honey. He didn’t recommend them to be eaten raw. This was the same as later writers in Britain as a 16^th century manuscript written by monks in Worcestershire says “Peres causeth ye colyck passion in ye bowelles…” and Gerard the 16^th century herbalist suggests that English Perry (a drink like cider which is made from apples) made from pears was good for the stomach as it “comforteth and warmeth” it although it purged people who were not used to drinking it. However he recommends it as being good for digestion. Gerard and his friend Sir Thomas Hanmer were the first in England to propagate pears by grafting them onto quince stock. This was done in France and Belgium at the time, and the practice continues today. Quinces are closely related to pears.

  The Roman historian Tacitus writes that pears were being cultivated at the time of the Roman occupation of Britain, and there were several varieties of pear growing there at that time. In the Domesday Book of 1086, pear trees were mentioned as forming boundaries which illustrates their use as hedges.

  Pears are members of the rose family of plants and are also closely related to apples and more distantly to loquats, plums, apricots and peaches. They were taken to America by the colonists and the first pear tree was planted on American soil in 1620. All the pears we have today are believed to come from Pyrus nivalis and Pyrus caucasia, but there are thousands of pear varieties grown around the world.

  Pears have diuretic properties and are useful for expelling stones especially from the kidneys. They are good for cystitis and inflammation of the prostate gland. A tisane can be made from dried pear leaves for these problems. Take 20 grams of dried pear leaves and macerate in ½ litre of boiling water for 20 minutes. And take two cups of this a day one before each main meal. A decoction of the bark (boil 25 grams of the bark in ½ litre of water for 20 minutes) is useful to apply to sprains and bruises, as it will reduce swelling. Pears protect the bladder against cancer, as well as the colon (they are full of fibre) and have astringent qualities so are useful for mild diarrhea and colitis. They have some pain relieving properties, and can help to lower blood pressure. They also promote cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol levels and are good for the eyesight (it’s not just carrots that are good for it.) They are rich in vitamin C and the minerals potassium and copper as well as containing vitamins A, K, E, folate and some of the B-complex ones. They also contain several valuable amino acids, and the minerals manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, chloride, iron, zinc and traces of selenium. They also have potent antioxidant properties, as they contain beta-carotene and ascorbic acid.

  Until the 18^th century pears were not the juicy fruit we have today. These were cultivated from then onwards and the Conference pear was first introduced in Britain at the National British Pear Conference in Hertfordshire in 1885. This pear was awarded the Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of Garden Merit, and is probably the favourite British pear.

  Pear trees attract bees because of their nectar, but the trees in Europe are suffering from European Pear Rust. The Royal Horticultural Society and sylva.org. launched a Tree Watch in 2011 and are asking people to adopt a tree or as many as they’d like to and monitor it for signs of this disease.

  We all know the meaning of “going pear-shaped”, when a project doesn’t go well this is what we say in English, and clearly this relates to the bottom heaviness of the fruit. However in Pakistan, pears look like russet apples almost round, so this phrase has to be explained. “Apples and pears” are stairs in Cockney rhyming slang too, and of course there is the Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in which “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me/ A partridge in a pear tree.” Pears are certainly part of British popular culture.

ROQUEFORT, PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD

Ingredients

6 oz Roquefort/creamy Gorgonzola/ goat’s cheese, crumbled

1 head lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

⅓ cup walnuts, chopped

3 pears, peeled, cored and chopped

½ cup spring onions sliced finely

Dressing

 ⅓ cup olive oil

3 tbsps red wine vinegar

1½ tsps sugar

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ tsp salt

1 tsp whole grain mustard (or Dijon)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

 Place all the salad ingredients into a bowl and blend the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

CANNONBALL TREE ( COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS) - INFORMATION: THE BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING TREE

CANNONBALL TREE, NAGALINGAM, COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS

The Cannonball tree is native to the tropical parts of South America and held in high regard by the shamans of the Amazon region. They call it “head of spirit” or Ayahuma. It is sacred to Hindus who call it Nagalingam, as it has what resembles the sacred serpent on the large Shiva lingam in the centre of the flower and there are other Shiva lingams around this. The flowers bloom for just one day but smell amazing when in bloom, like an expensive exotic perfume. In the Amazon all parts of the tree are used medicinally by the shamans who also eat the fruit, although this is not recommended for ordinary mortals who probably have allergic reactions to it. Peccaries eat it and disperse the seeds through their faeces. It can grow to heights of 115 feet and the trunk can have a diameter of 2½ feet. Old trees can have the lower parts of their trunks completely covered with fruit and flowers.

  The fruits and flowers appear on the tree trunks together, protruding from the trunk on short stalks. The fruit contains seeds surrounded in a white edible jelly-like pulp which turns blue-green when exposed to air, and then it exudes an unpleasant smell. This occurs naturally when it falls from the tree and breaks open. As the fruit can be up to 20 cms they could cause damage to anyone they fall on, so when the trees are in public places they come with a “caution!” sign.

  The Cannonball tree is a member of the Lecythidaceae family so it is related to the Brazil nut tree. The wood from the tree can be used to make furniture and the empty fruit shell is used for kitchen utensils and decorations.

   The leaves have antibiotic, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well as bringing pain relief and are chewed to relieve toothache. In Ayurvedic medicine the leaves are used as an anti-inflammatory, and for alopecia, skin diseases and fevers. In folk medicine the tree and its parts are said to bring someone who is mad back to sanity. In the Amazon, the flesh of the fruit is used to clean wounds, and other parts are used for colds, stomach aches and malaria.

This is one of Natures truly amazing trees.

SEVILLE ORANGES OR BITTER ORANGES - FACTS: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF BITTER ORANGES

SEVILLE ORANGES, BITTER ORANGES, CITRUS AURANTIUM

If you’ve ever been to the Spanish city of Seville or Athens, Greece, then you will have seen these bitter oranges trees lining the streets. Unfortunately although they look edible, you have a nasty shock if you eat them, as Norah Jones found out on her trip to Athens to sing at the Herodion in 2008. They are mainly used for making marmalade and the peel is used for its oil, as are the flowers, which is valuable to the food and perfume industry.

  Bitter oranges have become popular as a herbal remedy since 2004 when the US Food and Drug Administration banned Ephedra sinica products. It will no doubt come as a relief to the industry that in March 2011 HerbalGram, the quarterly Journal of the American Botany Council. A not for profit research and educational organization announced “based on current research as well as the extensive ingestion of bitter oranges and p-synephrine…the data demonstrate that bitter orange extract is safe for human consumption.” The press had seemingly confused m-synephrine which can have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system with the p form; m-synephrine is not present in bitter oranges.

  Bitter oranges are also called sour oranges and bigerades, and it is believed that they originated in South East Asia  and at some time in prehistory found their way to the Pacific Islands, notably Fiji, Samoa and Guam. The Arabs took them to the Arabian Peninsula and from there they found their way into Europe. They were being cultivated on the Italian island of Sicily by 1002 AD and were being grown in southern Spain by the 12^th century. One tree dating back to 1421 is still growing in a tub at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, and in Seville, in Spain there are trees that are reputedly 600 years old. The trees are evergreen and in the Rutaceae family along with lemons, kinnow, citron and other citrus fruits. For 500 years they were the only orange trees that were grown in Europe. The Spaniards took them to North America where they were adopted readily by the Native Americans in the Florida region, and by 1763 they were being exported from Saint Augustine to Britain, where they had failed to thrive due to the cold weather. The orange known as the Bergamot orange is one of these bitter orange varieties.

  Seville oranges are most usually found in marmalade but in Spain they are used in sauces to go with such dishes as suckling pig, as the citrus taste cuts through the fat of the young pig, and with salt cod. In Mexico these oranges are cut in half and salted then spread with a paste made with chilli peppers and eaten. They are also used in cordials and in Yucátan, Mexico they are used like vinegar. In the Pacific Islands, the crushed fruit and macerated leaves are used as a substitute for soap to wash clothes and for shampoo. Petitgrain oil is used to enhance the flavours of other fruit such as apricots, blackcurrants, gooseberries and peaches in food products. Neroli oil and “orange flower absolute” is used in the perfume industry and the fruit is also used in the making of liqueurs such as orange curaçao and Triple Sec. The honey from the nectar of these orange flowers is delicious and the wood is valuable in carpentry and turning. In Cuba baseball bats are made from it.

Athens, Greece

  In traditional Chinese medicine the small, dried, immature fruit are used for ailments which include indigestion, diarrhea, dysentery, constipation and as an expectorant. In Africa the cut fruit is applied to sores and ulcers on the skin and research seems to have shown that the fruit and leaves have antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, although more research needs to be done. In folk medicines the leaves have been used for centuries as antispasmodics, for stomach problems and as a general tonic.  The flowers are often boiled to a syrup and used as a sedative to promote sleep in people suffering from nervous disorders. An infusion of the flowers, an ounce of flowers to a pint of boiling water left to steep for some hours, is said to be a mild stimulant. The oil from the peel has been used in cases of chronic bronchitis, and the dried powdered peel is considered a general tonic.

  The leaves have a high vitamin C content in the form of ascorbic acid, and the fruit is full of this too. The fruit also contains flavonoid-glycosides such as aldehytes, ketone-free acids, esters, coumarins and tetranotriterpenoids (limonin). Synephrine is the main chemical constituent in the fruit flavones naringin and neohesperidin. The fruit contains vitamin A and some B-complex vitamins, with the minerals calcium, iron and phosphorous; amino acids are also present.

  Below is a recipe for orange and ginger marmalade which is one of my favourites.

SPICY SEVILLE ORANGE MARMELADE

Ingredients

16 Seville oranges, finely sliced

5 large lemons, finely sliced

4 inch piece of ginger root finely minced

2 sticks of cinnamon

16 cloves

sugar

24 cups water

Method

Put the fruit into a non-corrosive pan along with the spices and simmer until tender, for about ½ an hour.

Measure the fruit and juice in cups and add 1 cup of sugar to each cup of fruit and liquid.

Pour everything into the pan again and cook the boiling mixture until it reaches setting point. This is reached when two big drops slide together and hang from a metal spoon (rather like honey does).

Pour the marmalade into sterilized jars and seal.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

BLACKBERRIES OR BRAMBLES - SUPERSTITIONS, FOLK REMEDIES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: BLACKBERRY AND APPLE CRUMBLE RECIPE

BLACKBERRIES OR BRAMBLES, RUBUS FRUTICOSUS

Blackberries or brambles grow on thorny bushes wild throughout the UK. If you’ve never picked blackberries then you can’t imagine how good they are when you’ve been pricked by the thorns on the bushes because you just had to get at the ripe, plump, juicy blackberry that was almost out of your reach. To go home and make your own pie, tart or crumble and have it with double cream, ice cream or custard is a wonderful experience and one to be recommended. However, these days with all the pollution around, you need to wash them thoroughly before eating unless you have a wood near you which is “far from the madding crowd”. Apart from the thorns, you should be careful not to get the juice on your clothes as it stains badly - wear old ones to go brambling. The fruit, like that of raspberries is made up of small fruitlets, each bearing a seed.

   Blackberries are close relations of raspberries (the same Rubus name) and are in the rose family so are related more distantly to loquats, quinces, plums, peaches, strawberries, apples and pears. The brambles flower from May to September and the berries are ripe from August through to November, but are best picked early in the season despite a superstition in some parts of England that they shouldn’t be gathered before St. Michael’s Day which is late in September (29^th). Country folk once believed that when the Devil was cast out of Paradise, he fell into a bramble bush and cursed it. If you ate the fruit before the Saints Day it was cursed. In Ireland it is said that the Devil stamps on the bush and throws his cloak over them so that they are inedible after the 19^th of October, which is when you can see the slimy marks of a parasite which attacks them in the autumn. In fact there are other superstitions surrounding blackberries, such as one in Cornwall in the south-west of England that children could be cured of ruptures and hernias if they were passed through a looped bramble. This is formed when a barren shoot curls away from the plant and then goes back to the ground and roots. In the same county this was also believed to be a cure for warts. To heal scalds and burns 9 blackberry leaves had to be dipped in spring water and then this charm was said three times, “There came three angels out of the East. One brought fire, and two brought frost, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” It was also believed that warts could be cured with the first blackberries of the season, whether these were eaten or the juice was rubbed on the warts I’m not sure. If blackberries flower early, then this is supposed to be a sign of an early harvest.

  At one time it was believed that the berries could drive away snakes, and if you dreamed of going through a blackberry thicket, or a place that was covered with brambles, then misfortune would befall. If you were pricked by their thorns in your dream, this would mean that your reputation would be damaged, and if you bled you would lose money. If you got through the bramble patch unscathed though, you would triumph in your current endeavours.

  Blackberries are black because of the anthocyanins present in them and these are also present in the black or Virginian raspberry, blackcurrants and wimberries. These have powerful antioxidant properties and help, along with those of vitamins C and E and the polyphenols present in blackberries, to make the berry one of the top fruits in the antioxidant stakes. This means that they can help prevent some cancers, including colon cancer, and the stave off the risk of strokes and heart disease. As for minerals, they contain calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorous and magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper and traces of selenium. Some of the B-complex vitamins are also present as is vitamins K.

  In traditional medicine blackberry leaves and roots have been used for their astringency to help in diarrhea and dysentery, the dried fruit, reduced to a powder is also useful for these complaints. Make a tisane with 1 oz of dried leaves crumbled and pour a pint of boiling water over them. Leave this to infuse until it is cold, then strain and drink cold, one tea cup at a time every 2 or 3 hours for dysentery. You can dry blackberries in a moderate oven and then crumble the berries and save in an airtight jar. An ounce of the bruised root can be infused in 1½ pints of boiling water and left to steep until cold, then drunk as above. Apart from being good for diarrhea, this is good for spasms from whooping-cough.

  A rather tasty general tonic can be made by pressing the juice from the berries and adding a pound of sugar to every pint of juice, ½ oz of grated nutmeg and the same of cloves. Put all these ingredients into a non-corrosive pan and boil gently for 15 minutes, removing any scum as it rises to the surface. Leave the liquid to cool and then add brandy to taste ¼ bottle to 2 pints should be fine.

  Blackberry vinegar is also good for colds and mild fevers, and to make this you steep blackberries in enough malt vinegar to cover them in a non-corrosive pan for 3 days to draw the juice out of the blackberries. Strain the blackberries through a nylon sieve or muslin and leave them to drip for the day. Measure the juice and add a pound of sugar to each pint. Boil in the pan gently for 5 minutes then leave to cool, and bottle with a tight top. One teaspoon in a glass of water will quench your thirst and is excellent during fevers.

   At one time the whole plant was used medicinally for a variety of ailments and as a charm to ward off evil. It was believed that if blackberries were picked at an auspicious time of the moon, they would protect from evil spells and charms. The flowers and fruit were used for poisonous bites, and the young green shoots were eaten as salad vegetables, although I think they may have had to be blanched before eating. They were also said to fasten loose teeth in the gums, although John Gerard (writing in the 16^th century) rather judiciously points out that they should be boiled with a little alum for this purpose. He regarded the plant as being valuable for its astringent qualities both eaten and the juice used on the skin to treat piles, sore mouths and throats and diarrhea and small kidney and bladder stones. The ancient Greeks believed that blackberries were effective for gout, and Pliny refers to them as Rubus rusticanus a bramble of the countryside.

  These days of course you can buy cultivated blackberries in supermarkets, but the fun of making a blackberry pie or jam is to pick them yourself in the countryside.

BLACKBERRY AND APPLE CRUMBLE

Ingredients

8 ozs-1 lb blackberries, cleaned and washed

1 or 2 cooking apples depending on the size, peeled and sliced

2 tbsps sugar

Topping

5 ozs flour

3½ ozs butter

a little extra butter

5 ozs sugar

2 ozs rolled oats or crushed almonds

Method

Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180°C.

In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, butter and sugar until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the oats or almonds and mix well. You can do this in a food processor or blender.

Put the blackberries mixed with the apple slices in a high cake tin or equivalent and pour over the topping. Dot with a little extra butter and bake for 40 mins.

Serve hot or cold with custard, whipped cream or ice-cream.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

AMALTAS ( GOLDEN SHOWER TREE) - HISTORY, SIGNIFICANCE AND HEALTH BENEFITS

INDIAN LABURNUM, AMALTAS, CASSIA FISTULA

The Indian laburnum is a spectacular sight when in bloom around April in Pakistan. The blossoms range in colour from yellow to orange and sepia, and are more prolific than those of its cousin the British laburnum which destroys the vegetation under it. This tree is the producer of the national flower of Thailand which is the symbol of Thai royalty. It is also the state flower of Kerala, India, where it is one of the central elements of Vishu the Malayalees New Year festival celebrated in March - April. It is part of the Kani Kannal preparations (meaning lucky sight or gift). Before morning prayers are sung or said the women of the household prepare the lucky sight, which is a large pot (uruli) made of bell-iron, in which is placed the flowers of the Indian laburnum tree, a palm-leaf manuscript (grantha) a gold ornament, coins in a silver cup, new cloth, two halves of a coconut, a cucumber, mangoes and a jackfruit. The pot is placed in front of a mirror and a statue of Krishna, decorated with garlands, with two burning oil lamps on either side with a chair facing it. Members of the family are then led blindfolded into the room so that the first thing they see is the lucky sight of the pot. This sight will bring good fortune for the rest of the year it is believed. The elders present bless the younger members of the family and give them money.

  The tree was much loved by the Mughuls who used to wear the flowers on their wrists as bracelets and it is still a much-loved tree. Its other English name is the Golden Shower tree, but I think I’ll stick to calling it the Indian Laburnum!

   It is one of the most widespread trees on the Indian subcontinent and a member of the Leguminoseae family. This makes it a member of the bean family and a relative of green beans and other trees which have long seed pods, such as the carob and kachnar, or Mountain Orchid tree. The Indian Laburnum is used for many ailments, and all parts are used. Monkeys are particularly fond of the sweet pulp around the seeds and are responsible for spreading the trees. In Hindi it’s called the Monkey Stick tree, Bandarlathi, a reference to the size of the pods which can grow to 90 centimetres long. In Urdu it is called Amlatas, and this tree figures in many romances and was one of the trees planted in the Mughals’ gardens, so there are some of them in the Shalimar gardens in Lahore. It has been planted along the roadsides, making them look wonderful in spring.

 The seeds are poisonous but the flesh isn’t and the blossoms have a delightful pungent smell. The pods start soft and green and then turn brown and black and hard. The pulp from the pods was used to flavour tobacco and is a potent laxative which should not be consumed in large doses. Interestingly, cattle and goats seem to avoid the flowers and leaves of this tree, which is god for the hakims (traditional healers) who harvest all parts for traditional medicinal preparations.  The wood makes good firewood and charcoal and the trunk wood is strong and durable so fence posts and agricultural implements are made from it.

  Traditionally the roots are used to cure skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, and the root bark extracts have been tested in clinical trials and this use is borne out. Modern research has also shown that an extract from the tree can protect the liver and trials are underway to see how effective it can be against HIV/AIDS. The pulp around the seeds has one of the highest calcium contents in any fruits, 827milligrams in every 100 grams of dry matter. It is also a good source of other minerals, namely manganese and iron. The pulp also contains amino acids such as lysine and glutamine. The fruit could be an important source of nutrients and energy for us which at present are underused. It has more nutrients than apples, apricots, peaches, pears and oranges.

  The stem bark has potent antioxidant properties as do the leaves and the flowers and pulp to a lesser extent. Extracts of the bark have been used in creams for piles in the West as it seems it is good for the veins and blood flow.

  In traditional medicine in the subcontinent the roots are used for skin diseases, to alleviate burning sensations, and to cure syphilis. The bark is rich in tannins, and so is used for boils, leprosy, ringworm, and colic, to relieve constipation and diarrhea, as well as dyspepsia and heart problems. The leaves are also used for the skin dry coughs, bronchitis and burning sensations; the fruits are used for flatulence, dyspepsia, colic, inflammation and intermittent fevers. The flowers are said to be good for skin diseases, purging the body of toxins, and also as coolants and skin complaints.

  Generally the parts of the tree are used for heart diseases, tumours in the stomach, glands, liver and throat. It is also believed that the tree can cure delirium, convulsions and gravel in the body’s organs.

  Science has found that parts of the tree possess potent antioxidant properties, are antibacterial, antiviral and cholesterol lowering. It also has pain-relieving properties as well as being useful to treat fevers and to reduce blood pressure. However no part can be taken in large doses as they provoke vomiting, nausea and stomach pains and cramps.

  I think I am just content to look at this tree; others such as the neem are as beneficial.