Kathuru murunga (Hummingbird tree)

Kathuru murunga

Scientific name:	Sesbania grandiflora*
Family name:	FABACEAE
English name:	Hummingbird tree
Local name:	Kathuru murunga
Description:	Trees, to about 10 m tall; young stems pubescent. Leaves paripinnate with axis about 12-30(-60) cm long, 30-60-foliate; ;eaflets 2-4 cm long, 5-15 mm wide. Inflorescences 2-4-flowered. Flowers about 5-10 cm long; petals red, pink, or white, (5-) 7-8.5(-10) cm long. Fruit 20-60 cm long, 7-9 mm wide, 15-50 seeded; seeds reddish brown, about 1 cm apart, 5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 1.5-2mm thick.
Status:	Only under cultivation
Edible parts:	Leaves & Flowers

Himbutu (Chinese salasia)

Himbutu (Chinese salasia) Scientific name:	Salacia chinensis*
Family name:	HIPPOCRATEACEAE
English name:	Chinese salasia
Local name:	Himbutu
Description:	A large woody climber, glabrous. Leaves 4.2-10.5 x 2.2-4.0 cm, glabrous; petioles 5-8 mm long. Flowers few to many on axillary fascicles; yellow or yellowish-green; petals 5. Fruit a drupe, globose, 1.0-1.5 cm diameter, 1-seeded. Seeds globose up to 8 mm diameter.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Fruit

Kothala himbutu

Scientific name:	Salacia reticulata *
Family name:	HIPPOCRATEACEAE
English name:
Local name:	Kothala himbutu
Description:	A large woody climber or scandent shrub, glabrous. Leaves 4.2-11.6 x 2.2-5.4 cm, glabrous; petioles 0.7-1.2 cm long. Flowers 2-8 on axillary tubercles or peduncles, 6-7 mm in diameter; greenish-yellow; petals 5. Fruit a drupacious, globose, 1.6-3.8 cm diameter, pink orange when ripe, seeds 1-4. Seeds yellow.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	none

Siyambala (Tamarind0

Siyambala

Scientific name:	Tamarindus indica*
Family name:	FABACEAE
English name:	Tamarind
Local name:	Siyambala
Description:	Trees to about 15(-24) m tall; stipulesminute. Leaveswith about 8-20 pairs of leaflets; leaflets 12-(-30) mm long, (3-)5-10 mm wide. Inflorescences racemose, about 1-8 flowered; flowers small, pedicels 3-14 mm long; petals white or yellowish with reddish venation. Fruit light brown, 5-15 cm long, about 2 cm wide, 1.5 cm thick, 2-4-seeded, indehiscent. Seeds brown, lustrous with closed areoleon each face, about 1-1.5 cm long, 5-8 mm wide.
Status:	Only under cultivation
Edible parts:	Fruit

Buthsarana (Indian shot)

Buthsarana

Scientific name:	Canna indica *
Family name:	CANNACEAE
English name:	Indian shot
Local name:	Buthsarana
Description:	A medium sized perennial herb; rhizomes thick, up to 3 cm in diameter, purple; tillering prolific, stems trigonous. Leaves green, oblong. Inflorescences erect spikes. Flowers hermaphrodite, red; staminodes long and narrow. Fruit a capsule. Seeds small, globular, black.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	none

Beheth anoda (Country mallow)

Beheth anoda

Scientific name:	Abutilon indicum ssp. guineense*
Family name:	MALVACEAE
English name:	Country mallow
Local name:	Beheth anoda
Description:	Woody herb or subshrub, erect, 0.3-0.5 2 m tall, densely pubescent. Leaves 2.5-5 x 2-5 cm, base cordate , margin serrate-dentate; petiole 0.5-5(-12.5) cm long; stipules 2-3 mm long. Flowers solitary, axillary, up to 3 cm diameter, tomentose; corolla yellow to orange yellow, lacking purple centre. Mericarps 15-20, white hairy. Seeds about 3, 1-1.5 mm diameter.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	none

Koththamalli (Corriandum)

Scientific name:	Coriandrum sativum @
Family name:	APIACEAE
English name:	Corriandum
Local name:	Koththamalli
Description:
Status:	Only under cultivation
Edible parts:	Seed

Nelum (Indian lotus)

Scientific name:	Nelumbo nucifera*
Family name:	NELUMBONACEAE
English name:	Indian lotus
Local name:	Nelum
Description:	Aquatic herbs; rhizome creeping, to about 5 cm broad, white, brown spotted, internodes to 50 cm or more. Lower scale leaves 5-6.5 cm long, upper 12-15 cm long; lamina 30-60 cm across; submerged petiole weak, aerial petiole rigid, 10-12 mm broad, scabrous with distant prickles. Bud to about 9 cm long; outer tepals green, or greenish purple; inner tepals pink, purplish-pink, pinkish white or white. Ripe receptacles to about 10 cm across at top, spongy, black. Nuts about 18 mm long. Seeds brown.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Tuberous stem (Rhizome)

Adathoda / Agaladara / Wanepala / Wetahera (Malabar Nut)

Scientific name:	Justicia adhathoda*
Family name:	ACANTHACEAE
English name:	Malabar Nut
Local name:	Adathoda / Agaladara / Wanepala / Wetahera
Description:	Shrub upto 4m high, Leaves oval elliptic, 11-28X4-10 cm, opposite, Petiole 0.8–3.6 cm long, Spikes terminal and axillary, unbranched, Bracts oval oblong, upto 2.4X1.2 cm, 3-nerved from base, Calyx lobes lenear-oblong, Corolla white, broadly tubular, Stemens 2, epipetalous, Anthers green, 2-celled, Overy superior, 2-locular, Capsule obovoid.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	none

Inguru (Ginger)

Scientific name:	Zingiber officinale*
Family name:	ZINGIBERACEAE
English name:	Ginger
Local name:	Inguru
Description:	Rhizomatous herbs. Leafy stems up to 2 m. Leaf sheaths open on one side; blades distichosly arranged, sessile, up to 15 x 1.5 cm, ligule 2-4 mm long, membranous. Peduncle up to 25 cmlong. Inflorescence 4-5 x about 2 cm. Bracts about 2.5 x 2 cm, green. Corolla-tube about 2.5 cm long; lobes dull yellow, up to 2 x 1 cm; labellum dull dark purple.
Status:	Only under cultivation
Edible parts:	Tuberous stem (Rhizome)

Nelli (goose berry)

Scientific name:	Phyllanthus emblica*
Family name:	EUPHORBIACEAE
English name:	goose berry
Local name:	Nelli
Description:	Deciduous tree to 15 m high, moecious; leaves on the main branches reduced to scales. Deciduous branchlets mostly 10-25 cm long, with 30-100leaves. Stipules triangular, 0.8-1.5 mm long.Leaf lamina 12-20 x (1-)2-5 mm; petiole 0.3-0.7 mm long. Inflorecences cymules in middle portion of deciduous branchlets, each of several males sometimes with 1 or 2 female flowers. Fruit a drupaceous tardily dehiscent capsule, 2.5-3 cm in diameter, epicarp whitish, endocarp about 1 cm in diameter; collumella trigonous,7-8 mm high. Seeds in unequal pairs, 3.9-4.5 mm long.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Fruit

Bulu (Baheda)

Scientific name:	Terminalia bellirica $
Family name:	COMBRETACEAE
English name:	Baheda
Local name:	Bulu
Description:	Deciduous trees, to 35 m tall; bark gray, longitudinally ridged; Branchlets with conspicuous , spirally ascending leaf scars . Leaves spiraled, crowded into pseudo-whorls at apices of branchlets; petiole 3-9 cm, glabrous but ferruginous tomentose when young, especially at base, with 2 glands above middle ; leaf blade 18-26 × 6-12 cm, glabrous except ferruginous tomentose when young. Inflorescences axillary , simple spikes, 5-18 cm long, often grouped at branchlet apex and forming a panicle; axis densely ferruginous tomentose. Calyx tube distally shallowly cupular, 4-5 mm long. Fruit shortly stipitate, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid or ovoid , weakly to strongly 5-ridged, 2-3 × 1.8-2.5 cm, densely and finely velutinous or sericeous ; stipe about 2 mm long.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	none

Aralu (Chebulic Myrobalan)

Scientific name:	Terminalia chebula*
Family name:	COMBRETACEAE
English name:	Chebulic Myrobalan
Local name:	Aralu
Description:	Trees to 30 m tall; branchlets conspicuously white or yellowish long lenticellate , glabrous, hairs tawny , rarely silvery. Leaves alternate or subopposite, spaced along branchlets; petiole 1-3 cm long, with 2(-4) glands 1-5 mm below apex; leaf blade 7-18 × 4.5-10 cm, glabrous. Inflorescences axillary or terminal , simple spikes, 5-10 cm long, numerous flowered, sometimes grouped at branchlet apex and forming a panicle. Flowers slightly fragrant, bisexual. Fruit not stipitate , blackish brown when ripe , ovoid or broadly so, ellipsoid , or cylindric-ovoid, obtusely 5-ridged, 2-4.5 × 1.2-2.5 cm, rigid , becoming deeply wrinkled when dry, glabrous.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	none

Gammiris (Pepper

Scientific name:	Piper nigrum*
Family name:	PIPERACEAE
English name:	Pepper
Local name:	Gammiris
Description:	Perennial vine, climber; stem semi-woody; rooting sparingly; nodes thickened; young parts glabrous. Leaves 12.7-17.5 cm long, cordate at base; petioles 2.5-3.7 cm long. Flowers bisexual, sessile in axils of fleshy bracts, ar5ranged in leaf-opposed spikes 5 cm long. Fruit nearly globose, at first dar green, about 6 mm long passing through orange-yellow to dull red when ripe in pendulous spikes 10-15 cm long
Status:	Naturalized Exotic
Edible parts:	Seed

Wel penela

Scientific name:	Cardiospermum halicacabum *
Family name:	SAPINDACEAE
English name:
Local name:	Wel penela
Description:	Climbing or subscandent herb with a slender, strongly furrowed, glabrous stem. Leaves biternate, 6-12 cm long, petioles 1.4-4.0 cm long. leaflets ovate oblong or ovate lanciolate, 1.5-3.0X0.6-1.8 cm, margins irregularly dentate or pinnatifid. Inflorescence axillary, long peduncled with a pair of circinnate tendrils at the tip of primary peduncle. Flowers white, about 4 mm diameter, pedicels 1.5-3.0 mm long, sepals free 3-4 mm long, petals obovate, 3X1.5 mm, stamens 8, free, overy obovoid, 2-3 mm long. Capsules subglobose, turbinate or broadly pyriform, 1.2-1.8 cm wide, winged at angles. Seeds 3 one in each locule.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Whole plant, especially the leaves and flowers are used for medicinal purposes

Divul (Wood apple)

Scientific name:	Limonia acidissima*
Family name:	RUTACEAE
English name:	Wood apple
Local name:	Divul
Description:	Small tree, to 7 m tall, the spines to 4 cm long. Leaves 10 cm long, leaflets opposite, usually 2 or 3 pairs. Inflorescences axillary. Flowers small, numerous, white, green or reddish-ourplish. Fruits woody, globose, pale, with sticky pulp; seeds numerous.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Fruit

Attikka (Cluster tree,cluster fig)

Scientific name:	Ficus racemosa*
Family name:	MORACEAE
English name:	Cluster tree,cluster fig
Local name:	Attikka
Description:	Tree -30 m high, buttressed, occasionally deciduous. Stipules -12 mm long, -30 mm long on opening shoots. Lamina 6-19 x 3.5-8.5 cm; petiole 15-70 mm long. Figs in large clusters on the main branches and trunk, on branching leafless twigs -25 cm long, 2.5 cm thick at the base, ripening rose-red; body 20-30 mm wide (35-50 mm, living). Male flowers ostiolar in 2-3 rings, sessile. Gall-flowers long-stalked. Female flowers sessile, red spotted. Lamina with cystoliths only on the lower side.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Fruit

Hathavariya (Asparagus)

Scientific name:	Asparagus gonoclados*
Family name:	ASPARAGACEAE
English name:	Asparagus
Local name:	Hathavariya
Description:	A tall, rambling and scandent, spinous undershrub with a tuberous rootstock; spines 0.6-1.2 cm long. Leaves reduced to minute scales bearing at the axils tufts of trigonous cladodes which are 2-6-nate, 1.2-1.8 cm long, 6 mm broad. Racemes many flowered. Flowers white, fragrant, very minute. Fruit a berry, 1-2 seeded, 4-6 mm diameter.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	Leaves

Nivithi (Malabar spinach)

Scientific name:	Basella alba*
Family name:	BASELLACEAE
English name:	Malabar spinach
Local name:	Nivithi
Description:	Fleshy, glabrous, twining, perennial herbs. Leaves 2-5 cm long, 0.8-2.5 cm wide; petiole 0.3-1 cm long. Flowers greenish-white, about 3 mm long, in spikes 5-8 cm long. Fruits small, 1-seeded, about 0.5 cm in diameter.
Status:	Native
Edible parts:	leaves and young stems

Bilin (Bilimbi)

Scientific name:	Averrhoa bilimbi*
Family name:	OXALIDACEAE
English name:	Bilimbi
Local name:	Bilin
Description:	Small tree, 3-10 m tall; young parts and petioles velvety with soft rusty brown hairs. Leaves with 11-35 pinnae; the lower pinnae 1.2-3 x 0.6-2.2 cm, the upper 3-10 x 2-4 cm, pubscent; petiole 2-6 cm long, enlarged at the base; rachis 4-40 cm; petiolules 3-8 mm long, tomentose. Inflorescences 2-15 cm long, mainly cauliflorus. Flowers in fascicles; petals dark red-purple. Berry fleshy, 4-6 cm long, about 2.5 cm broad, with 5 blunt longitudinal ridges or terete, greenish yellow when ripe, very acidic. Seeds mostly 2-5 in each loculus, white, 6-8 mm long.
Status:	Only under cultivation
Edible parts:	Fruit