Kaiphal (Myrica Esculenta) or (Kaphal
- as it is commonly known in Garhwal and Kumaon) is
a small to moderate-sized tree varying from 3 to 15
m from place to place in sub-tropical Himalayas from
the Ravi river eastward to Khasi, Jaintia, Naga and
Lushai hills of India at altitudes of 900 m to 2100
m. Leave are lanceolate and oblong-obovate. The unisexual,
minute flowers appear in axillary spikes. Fruits of
the cherry size are reddish or cheese coloured when
ripe.
Medicinal Properties
Bark is most important part used in the Indian systems
of medicine – Ayurveda and Unani though flowers,
fruits, seeds and arillus are also often used. About
half an inch thick bark, rough with deep vertical
wrinkles, is mottled rusty-brown and dirty white.
The bark is considered as astringent, heating and
stimulant by Ayurveda practitioners, and resolvent,
astringent, carminative and tonic by Unani practitioners.
A decoction of the bark mixed with ginger and cinnamon
is valuable in asthma, diarrhoea connected with phthisis,
fevers, lung affections chronic bronchitis (catarrhal
conditions of the lungs), typhoid, dysentery and diuresis.
Powder of the bark is recommended as a snuff in catarrh
with headache. The powder is applied to putrid sores
also. A compound powder, known as Kaiphaladi Churana,
consisting of Kaiphal bark and other herbs is given
with addition of ginger juice and honey in affection
of throat, cough and asthma.
Bark is chewed to relieve toothache. An oil prepared
from the bark is dropped into the ears in earache.
Pessary made of the bark are used to promote menses.
Dahn-el-kandul, an oil prepared from flowers has much
the same properties as the bark.
The bark of Kaphal is said to possess many
medicinal properties. It is heat stimulating and useful
in catarrhal fever, cough and in the affections of
the throat. An oil prepared from it is dropped into
ears to stop earache (Watt, 1891). Kirlikar and Basu
(1935) reported the bark to be acrid, bitter, pungent,
useful in disorders relating to vota and kapha, fever,
asthma. urinary discharges. piles, bronchitis, throat
complaints, turnours, anaemia, chronic dysentery and
ulcers. Its snuff is useful in headache and in curing
eye diseases. The oil from the flowers is a tonic,
useful in earache, diarrhoea, inflanunations and paralysis.
According to Collett (1002) the bark is used as an
aromatic, a stimulant, an astringent, carminative
and an antiseptic in indigenous medicine and is considered
to be useful in fevers, asthma and cough.
Chemical Composition of the Fruit
The edible portion of the fruit is its pulp, which
is 75.4 per cent of the whole fruit. It contains 80.6
per cent moisture. The total soluble solids content
of the fruit is 19.5 per cent. The juice content of
the fruit is 40 percent. The juice contains 3.68 per
cent acidity, 12.65 per cent total sugars, most of
them in the form of reducing sugars. The tannin content
was found to be 1.05 per cent on pulp basis. The fruits
are not very rich in vitamin C and contain only 4.12
mg of it per 100 ml of juice.
The mineral content of the fruit pulp, as represented
by its ash, is 0.387 per cent. The fruit contains
0.97 per cent protein, 0.007 per cent phosphorus,
0.194per cent potassium, 0.039 per cent calcium, 0.013
per cent magnesium and 0.004 per cent iron on pulp
basis.
The fruits are edible. They are considered pectoral,
sedative, stomachic and carminative. They have pleasant
sourish sweet taste and used in preparing refreshing
drink. The fruits are eaten raw not only in India
but in China, Japan and Europe as well.
The fruits are covered with a crust of white waxy
material, permeated with brown and black spots. The
wax called, myrtle wax, can be easily separated by
boiling the fruits in water. The material so obtained
is not true wax, but a vegetable tallow composed largely
of glycerides. This wax is used as a healing application
to ulcers. Not only this, the wax is used in making
candles, and soaps, and also in various formulations
for polishing leather.
Dessert Quality
The small, seedy fruits are sweet, with a pleasant
blend of acid. They are very attractive. The overall
fruit quality is excellent.
The Flowering and Fruiting Season
The flowering season starts from the first fortnight
of February and continues till the second fortnight
of April.
The peak flowering season was observed to occur during
the first fortnight of March. Similarly the fruiting
season started from the first week of May and continued
till the last week of this month under Solan conditions.
Yield
The yield, as recorded under Solan conditions, was
found to be 15.5 kg per tree. It can, however, go
up to 25 kg in the case of a big tree.
Utilization
The small seedy fruits of Kaiphal are very much liked
by all for their taste and juiciness. Huge quantities
of this wild fruit are picked by the villagers from
the forests and sold in towns. The fruits easily sell
4 to 5 rupees a kg. Every year the fruit of this tree,
worth thousands of rupees, is sold in towns. It is
a good source of extra income for the villagers.
The fruits, unfortunately, are not good keepers and
their shelf-life does not exceed 2-3 days. As already
mentioned under chemical composition, these fruits
are fairly juicy and the percentage of extractable
juice is about 40 per cent. The juice has a very attractive
sparkling red colour. Efforts should be made to standardize
a technique for its utilization.
The major problem in the case of this fruit is that
the harvesting period is too long and fruits from
a single tree have to be harvested in many pickings.
However, this is the only cost involved in the case
of this fruit, the numerous trees bearing which are
growing wild in the forests. This cost can, therefore,
be overlooked.
It is a tall and spreading evergreen tree. It should
be very useful in avenue plantation in the
hills. Besides providing shade and ornamental look,
it will also yield fruit.
