Rubus ellipticus Sm. : Sweet berry in Odisha.

Introduction

Rubus ellipticus Sm. is a raspberry with yellow fruits, native to tropical and subtropical India and Asia . Raspberry (Rubus ellipticus Smith) is one of the tastiest wild fruits growing in abundance throughout North-western Himalayas. Besides providing essential nutrients for human diet, it has great potential in agroprocessing industries in preparation of squash, jam, yoghurt and ice-cream..

Botany :-

Family: Rosaceae

Sermentose shrub , branches upto 5.5 m long, hirsute with long, rusty-brown bristles.Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate,stipules setaceous,leaflets elliptic,suborbicular,margin sharply toothed, apex obtuse or rounded or acute,secondary nerve strong and often with smell prickles along with mid-rib,panicle small,many-flowered,flowers white,fruits yellow, globose.

Fl.:- Jan- March.

Fr.:- April- June.

Native range:- Rubus ellipticus is native to tropical and subtropical India.

In Odisha :- Occasional in cool valleys, Jenabil in  Simlipal biosphere reserve forest ,Mahendragiri, Chandragiri.

Propagation:- Rubus species can be propagated from seeds.

Indian names:-

Machao kodi - Oriya. 

Jotelupoka -Assam

Akhe, akkhi, anchhu, hinure -Himachal Pradesh

Hinsalu, Anchhu -Hindi

Other common names : -

Asian wild raspberry -English

Broadleafed bramble -English

Ceylon blackberry -English

Piquant lou-lou -French-Mauritius 

Yellow Himalayan raspberry -Hawaii



Fig :  Fruits & leaves of Rubus ellipticus Sm.

 Uses :-

The inner bark of the Rubus ellipticus plant is valued as a medicinal herb in traditional Tibetan medicine, including its use as a renal tonic and anti-diuretic. Its fruits are edible and can also be used to produce a purplish blue dye (Plants For A Future 2002).As is evident from the chemical composition of the fruit given above, this fruit is highly nutritive. The juice of Rubus ellipticus Smith, which has an attractive colour and rich flavour, can be preserved as such and can also be used for squash-making. A very good jam can also be prepared from this fruit.

Sanjeet kumar

working in the lab of NBPGR, base centre , cuttack.