Bio Diversity Park

Common Name : Myrobalan

Hindi Name : हरड़ | Scientific Name : Terminalia chebula
Family : Combretaceae
Uses : The harar fruit is antiseptic, diuretic, astringent, cardiotonic, and febrifuge in action. It is a safe and effective purgative, laxative, and alterative. It is an important ingredient of ‘triphala’, an Ayurvedic formulation used in the treatment of constipation, colic pain and kidney dysfunctions, eye diseases, and sore throat. Unripe fruits are more purgative and the ripe ones are astringent.
Native: South Asia
General Description:

It is a large tree with umbrella-shaped crown and crowded branches, growing up to 25m in height, with a bole girth of 2.5m. Stem bark is dark brown. Leaves are sub-opposite, ovate or oblong-ovate, 8–20 cm long, and deciduous during cold season. The species is identified by dark brown bark exfoliating in irregular woody scales and by the presence of a pair of large glands at the top of the petiole. Flowers are yellowish-white and emit a strong offensive odour. They occur in spikes arising from upper axils or in small terminal panicles. Fruit (drupe) is yellowish-green, obovoid or ellipsoid, hard, and five to six ribbed when dry. Seed is globose, generally 2–6cm long, and pale yellow in colour. Flowering occurs in May–June, while fruiting occurs in winter (November–March).