Spondias pinnata
| Indian hog plum (Spondias pinnata) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Spondias pinnata [1] |
| Family | Anacardiaceae [1] |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Genus | Spondias |
| Common names | Indian hog plum; hog plum; wild mango; forest mango; ambra |
| Habit | Deciduous tree, commonly 10–25 m [2][3] |
| Fruit | Yellowish-orange sour drupe, about 3.5–5 × 2.5–3.5 cm in the Flora of China treatment [2] |
Spondias pinnata is a deciduous tropical tree in the cashew family, grown for its sour, edible drupes. It occurs in lowland and hill forests and is also cultivated across tropical Asia. [2] The species is accepted in the current GBIF taxonomic match. [1]
Description[edit | edit source]
The tree is described at 10–15 m in the Flora of China treatment and up to about 25 m in a broader tropical-plant account, so mature height varies with site and growing conditions. [2][3] Leaves are compound, generally with 5–11 leaflets. Terminal panicles carry white flowers, followed by yellowish-orange ellipsoid drupes. The fruit has a woody, grooved, fibrous endocarp and usually contains two or three seeds. [2]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
In its documented range, Spondias pinnata grows in lowland and hill forests from about 300 to 1,200 m. [2] A cultivation account records a preference for well-drained soil. [3] Give the root zone drainage that prevents prolonged saturation, and maintain more even moisture while a young tree is establishing; the available species account does not support a fixed irrigation schedule.
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Forest habitat is consistent with some tolerance of partial shade, while the cultivation account also records success in full sun. [2][3] Use a bright, open position where the soil remains adequately drained, or provide partial shade when establishing plants in a hotter site. Its tropical-Asian distribution is consistent with warm, humid cultivation, without implying a fixed humidity threshold or cold limit.
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The tree is deciduous. In the Flora of China treatment area, flowering occurs from April to June and fruiting from August to September. [2] Treat those dates as regional rather than universal: in cultivation, observe local leaf fall and flowering before setting irrigation or harvest expectations, and protect the root zone from becoming waterlogged during seasonal rain.
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Seed and cuttings are both documented propagation routes. [3]
A 13-treatment germination experiment on Indian hog-plum seed found that soaking in 0.01 M potassium nitrate (KNO3) for 24 hours produced the highest reported germination, 66%, along with the highest reported seedling length, vigour index and biomass in that experiment. [4] The record provides an abstract rather than the complete methods, so the treatment should be regarded as study-specific rather than a guaranteed production schedule.
A separate nursery study tested 10, 15 and 20 cm cuttings with sucrose solutions of 15, 30, 45 and 60 g L−1 plus an untreated control; treatments were applied for one hour. The 15 cm cutting with 15 g L−1 sucrose performed best in that experiment, with 83% cutting success and a reported root length of 15.08 cm. [5] Those results describe the tested nursery conditions and should not be treated as a universal rooting rate.
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
Terminal panicles bear white flowers. The Flora of China account records flowering from April to June and fruit development to August–September in its treatment area. [2] The drupes are yellowish orange at the described stage and measure about 3.5–5 cm long by 2.5–3.5 cm wide; the regional season and fruit measurements should not be assumed to apply unchanged in every climate. [2]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The fruit is sour and is eaten raw or processed into jams, jellies, juices, pickles and chutneys. [2][3] The fibrous, grooved endocarp and usually two or three seeds are useful identification features when a fruit is cut open. [2]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ [4] Dey K, Ghosh A, Dey AN, Bhowmick N, Bauri FK (2016). Studies on seed germination and seedling behaviour of Indian hog-plum (Spondias pinnata) in response to different pre-sowing treatments. Seed Science and Technology 44(3): 642–646. DOI: 10.15258/sst.2016.44.3.15.
- ↑ [5] Dey K, Ghosh A, Dey AN, Bhowmick N, Ghosh A, Bauri FK (2021). Asexual propagation of Spondias pinnata as influenced by cutting length and sucrose concentration. Journal of Crop and Weed 17(2): 93–97. DOI: 10.22271/09746315.2021.v17.i2.1457.
Image credits[edit | edit source]
- Spondias pinnata-1.JPG: Forestowlet, Wikimedia Commons file page, own work, CC0 / Public Domain Dedication. The file shows Spondias pinnata at Valley school, Bangalore.
