Bridelia retusa
| Spinous kino tree (Bridelia retusa) | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Bridelia retusa [1] |
| Common names | Spinous kino tree, kasi, kosai |
| Genus | Bridelia |
| Family | Phyllanthaceae |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Habit | Deciduous tree, sometimes described as a spiny shrub or tree |
| Mature size | Up to about 20 m [2] |
| Fruit | Purplish-black, fleshy drupe about 7–8 mm across [2] |
Bridelia retusa, known as the spinous kino tree, is a deciduous fruiting tree of the Indian Subcontinent through southern China and western Malesia. It occurs in dry evergreen and deciduous forest and open country, and is associated with sandy-loamy soils derived from granite, basalt, or limestone. [1][2]
Description[edit | edit source]
Descriptions range from a spiny shrub to a medium or large tree reaching about 20 m. The species is associated with dry evergreen or deciduous forest and open-land habitats. [3] Its fruit is a small, fleshy drupe that turns purplish-black to black as it matures. [2][3]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
In its native settings, Bridelia retusa grows on sandy-loamy soils derived from granite, basalt, or limestone and can persist on dry, shallow soil. It has moderate drought resistance. [2]
The species produces root suckers and is described as a good coppicer. Those traits can be useful where a grower wants to maintain a multi-stemmed plant, but they also make the root zone worth monitoring around paths and adjacent beds. [2]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
The species tolerates moderate shade. A two-year tropical dry-forest seedling study found that B. retusa retained relatively strong leaf-attribute values under low-light conditions compared with the other tested species; the result concerns young plants in a dry-forest setting rather than mature orchard yield. [5]
Its native dry-forest range combines seasonal moisture with periods of atmospheric and soil dryness. [2][3]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The documented flowering period is April–August, followed by fruiting in December–January. [2]
Frost can damage the tree, although recovery has been reported. Protection from freezing weather is prudent for plants grown outside their tropical or subtropical range. [2]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seeds have immature-embryo dormancy. The documented handling protocol uses after-ripening at 35–40 °C while seed moisture is maintained at 7–9% for 4–5 months. Treated seed is listed at 40–70% germination, compared with 2–10% for untreated seed; treated seed germinates in about 10–12 days under the stated nursery protocol. [2]
Nursery sowing is scheduled for May–June at 0.6–1 cm depth. Seedlings are transplanted under shade, grow slowly at first, and may be ready for the nursery after about one year. The same propagation account lists hardwood cuttings 20–30 cm long and about 1 cm thick, taken in December–January, as an additional method. [2]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The species is summarized as monoecious with temporal dioecy: male and female phases alternate, with the phases separated by about a week in the cited cultivation account. [2] Published observations of B. retusa have included one-cycle, duodichogamous, and multi-cycle dichogamy, as well as pure staminate plants, indicating that reproductive expression can vary among observed plants. [4]
Flowering is reported from April through August, and fruiting from December through January. Harvest is timed for fruit that has turned black and softened. [2] Individual trees may not present flowers in the same sexual phase at the same time, so a fruiting planting should be observed across more than one season before its pollination performance is judged.
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The fruit is an edible, fleshy drupe, generally purplish-black to black at maturity and about 7–8 mm across, with two pyrenes. Botanical descriptions characterize its flavor as very astringent. [2][3] The available descriptions support the fruit's edible use and astringent character; they do not establish a food-safety assessment or a reliable storage life after harvest.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [2] Bridelia retusa (L.) A. Juss. – Seed Leaflet 175. Kundu, M.; Schmidt, L. (2021).
- ↑ [4] Variation in dichogamy and myophily in two dioecious Bridelia species. Dias, M.A.; Ratnayake, R.M.C.S. (2021), Australian Journal of Botany 69(5): 301–309.
- ↑ [5] Effects of light availability on leaf attributes and seedling growth of four tree species in tropical dry forest. Tripathi, S.; Bhadouria, R.; Srivastava, P.; Devi, R.S.; Chaturvedi, R.; Raghubanshi, A.S. (2020), Ecological Processes 9:2. DOI 10.1186/s13717-019-0206-4.