Bio Diversity Park

Common Name : Java Plum

Hindi Name : जामुन | Scientific Name : Syzygium cumini
Family : Myrtaceae
Uses : Jamun fruit possesses considerable nutritive value. Apart from minerals, sugars, and proteins, it is a good source of iron also. Apart from eating fresh, it can be used for making delicious beverages, jellies, jam, squash wine, vinegar and pickles. Jamun squash is a very refreshing drink in summer season. A little quantity of fruit syrup is very useful for curing diarrhoea. A mixture of jamun juice and mango juice in equal quantity is very useful for quenching thirst for diabetic patient. Jamun is used for preparation of wine particularly in Goa.
The vinegar prepared from juice extracted from slightly ripe fruits is stomachic, carminative and diuretic, apart from having cooling and digestive properties. Almost every part of the tree is used for one purpose or other. Powdered seeds are also very useful for the cure of diabetes. The seed powder of jamun reduces the quantity of sugar in the urine very quickly and permanently.
Jamun seeds can be used as a concentrate for animals because it is rich in protein, carbohydrate and calcium. Its wood is used for manufacturing railway sleepers. It is not attacked by wood decaying insects or fungi.

Native: Indian subcontinent
General Description:

The tree is broad and densely foliated, reaching a height of 15m and a crown diameter of 4m. The immature bark is light brown, while the mature is dark brown and scaly. The leaves are 6–12cm long, leathery, dark green, smooth, shiny and elongate or oblong shape. The flowers are small (7–12mm), numerous, fragrant, white, creamy or greenish. It does not present stems and born in fascicles in the branches of the tree. The fruits are berries, fleshy, elliptically shaped and composed of a single dark brown central seed.  Its length varies from 1.5 to 3.5cm and are 2cm in diameter. The fruits can be found in groups of 4–20 in different parts of the tree canopy.