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Briedelia retusa (L.)
A. Juss.
Synonym : Clutia retusa L.
Family
: Euphorbiaceae
Local Names
: Mulluvenga, Spinous kino tree
Flowering and
fruiting period:
August – December
Distribution: Indo-Malaya
Habitat: Semi-evergreen and deciduous
forests, also in the plains
IUCN status: Data Deficient
Endemic: No
Uses: Ayurvedic, drought tolerant.
The plant is pungent, bitter, heating, useful in lumbago, hemiplegia; bark is
good for the removal of urinary concretions (Ayurveda). Root and bark are
valuable astringents. The bark is used as a liniment with gingelly oil in
rheumatism. The ripe fruit is edible.
Key Characters: Briedelia retusa are deciduous trees bark greyish-brown; young
trees armed with sharp thorns. Leaves simple, alternate, broadly elliptic,
oblong, base round, margin entire, bright green and glabrous. Flowers
unisexual; greenish-
styles
2. Fruit a drupe, purplish-black.
