Phyllanthus emblica, also known as emblic,[2][5]emblic myrobalan,[2]myrobalan,[5]Indian gooseberry,[2][5]Malacca tree,[5] or amla,[5] from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Asia.[4]
The tree is small to medium in size, reaching 1–8 m (3 ft 3 in – 26 ft 3 in) in height. The branchlets are finely pubescent (not glabrous), 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long, usually deciduous. The leaves are simple, subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish-yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows. The fruit is up to 26 mm (1.0 in) in diameter, and, while the fruit of wild plants weigh approximately 5.5 g (0.19 oz), cultivated fruits average 28.4 g (1.00 oz) to 56 g (2.0 oz)[6]
Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits. The taste of Indian emblic is sour, bitter and astringent, and it is quite fibrous.
Culinary useEdit
Indian gooseberry pickle
The amla fruit is eaten raw or cooked into various dishes, such as dal (a lentil preparation) and amle ka murabbah, a sweet dish made by soaking the berries in sugar syrup until they are candied. It is traditionally consumed after meals.[citation needed]
In the Batak area of Sumatra, Indonesia, the inner bark is used to impart an astringent, bitter taste to the broth of a traditional fish soup known as holat.[11]
Traditional medicineEdit
In Ayurveda, dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used as a common constituent.[8][12]
Buddhist symbolismEdit
In the Buddhist tradition there are many references to the fruit of the emblic myrobalan. In the Śatapañcāśatka, Buddha's knowledge is described in a poetic simile: "O Bhagavan, the entire origination of all types of phenomena throughout time is within the range of your mind, like an ambalan fruit in the palm of your hand".[13]
Half an amla fruit was the final gift to the Buddhist sangha by the great Indian emperor Ashoka. This is illustrated in the Ashokavadana in the following verses: "A great donor, the lord of men, the eminent Maurya Ashoka, has gone from being lord of Jambudvipa [the continent] to being lord of half a myrobalan".[14] In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi, by the twenty first Buddha, named Phussa Buddha.[15]
^Roland, C. (2020). "Phyllanthus emblica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T149444430A149548926. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T149444430A149548926.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^"Phyllanthus emblica L." World Flora Online. World Flora Consortium. 2023. from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
^ ab"Phyllanthus emblica L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^ abcdeLim, T.K. (2012). "Phyllanthus emblica". Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants. Springer Netherlands. pp. 258–296. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4053-2_37. ISBN9789400740525.
^Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
^Tarwadi K, Agte V (Aug 2007). "Antioxidant and micronutrient potential of common fruits available in the Indian subcontinent". Int J Food Sci Nutr. 58 (5): 341–9. doi:10.1080/09637480701243905. PMID 17558726. S2CID 7663752.
^ abcDharmananda S (September 2003). "Emblic myrobalans (Amla)". Institute of Traditional Medicine. from the original on 2005-09-01. Retrieved 2006-02-07.
^Bhattacharya, A.; Chatterjee, A.; Ghosal, S.; Bhattacharya, S. K. (1999). "Antioxidant activity of active tannoid principles of Emblica officinalis (amla)". Indian Journal of Experimental Biology. 37 (7): 676–680. PMID 10522157.
^Habib-ur-Rehman; Yasin KA; Choudhary MA; et al. (Jul 2007). "Studies on the chemical constituents of Phyllanthus emblica". Nat. Prod. Res. 21 (9): 775–81. doi:10.1080/14786410601124664. PMID 17763100. S2CID 30716746.
^de Clercq, F. S. A. (1909). Nieuw Plantkundig Woordenboek voor Nederlandsch Indië. Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy. p. 303.
^Indian Ministry of Health and Family Planning. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India. Part I. 1st ed. Delhi, 1978.
^Chen, K. (1952). The Śatapañcāśatka of Mātrceta: Sanskrit Text, Tibetan translation and commentary, and Chinese translation. Edited by D. R. Shackleton Bailey, with an introduction, English translation and notes. Cambridge: The University Press, 1951. xi, 237 p. The Far Eastern Quarterly, 11(3), 408–410. doi:10.2307/2049590.
^Strong, J. S. (1983) The Legend of King Ashoka. New York: Princeton University Press. p. 99.
^Buddha: His Life, His Teachings, His Order: Together with the History of the Buddhism, Manmatha Nath Dutt, Society for the resuscitation of Indian literature, 1901, p. 3
External linksEdit
Media related to Phyllanthus emblica at Wikimedia Commons
October 15, 2023
phyllanthus, emblica, other, plants, called, gooseberry, list, gooseberries, also, known, emblic, emblic, myrobalan, myrobalan, indian, gooseberry, malacca, tree, amla, from, sanskrit, आमलक, āmalakī, deciduous, tree, family, phyllanthaceae, native, range, trop. For other plants called gooseberry see List of gooseberries Phyllanthus emblica also known as emblic 2 5 emblic myrobalan 2 myrobalan 5 Indian gooseberry 2 5 Malacca tree 5 or amla 5 from the Sanskrit आमलक amalaki is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae Its native range is tropical and southern Asia 4 Phyllanthus emblicaPlantFruitConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade RosidsOrder MalpighialesFamily PhyllanthaceaeGenus PhyllanthusSpecies P emblicaBinomial namePhyllanthus emblicaL 2 Synonyms 3 4 Cicca emblica L Kurz Diasperus emblica L Kuntze Dichelactina nodicaulis Hance Emblica arborea Raf Emblica officinalis Gaertn Phyllanthus glomeratus Roxb ex Wall nom inval Phyllanthus mairei H Lev Phyllanthus mimosifolius Salisb Phyllanthus taxifolius D Don Contents 1 Description 1 1 Plant morphology 1 2 Chemical constituents 2 Traditional uses 2 1 Culinary use 2 2 Traditional medicine 3 Buddhist symbolism 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksDescription Edit nbsp Budding and flowersPlant morphology Edit nbsp Phyllanthus emblica whole and cross sectionThe tree is small to medium in size reaching 1 8 m 3 ft 3 in 26 ft 3 in in height The branchlets are finely pubescent not glabrous 10 20 cm 3 9 7 9 in long usually deciduous The leaves are simple subsessile and closely set along branchlets light green resembling pinnate leaves The flowers are greenish yellow The fruit is nearly spherical light greenish yellow quite smooth and hard on appearance with six vertical stripes or furrows The fruit is up to 26 mm 1 0 in in diameter and while the fruit of wild plants weigh approximately 5 5 g 0 19 oz cultivated fruits average 28 4 g 1 00 oz to 56 g 2 0 oz 6 Chemical constituents Edit These fruits contain high amounts of ascorbic acid vitamin C 7 and have a bitter taste that may derive from a high density of ellagitannins 8 such as emblicanin A 37 emblicanin B 33 punigluconin 12 and pedunculagin 14 9 Amla also contains punicafolin and phyllanemblinin A phyllanemblin other polyphenols such as flavonoids kaempferol ellagic acid and gallic acid 8 10 Traditional uses EditRipening in autumn the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits The taste of Indian emblic is sour bitter and astringent and it is quite fibrous Culinary use Edit nbsp Indian gooseberry pickleThe amla fruit is eaten raw or cooked into various dishes such as dal a lentil preparation and amle ka murabbah a sweet dish made by soaking the berries in sugar syrup until they are candied It is traditionally consumed after meals citation needed In the Batak area of Sumatra Indonesia the inner bark is used to impart an astringent bitter taste to the broth of a traditional fish soup known as holat 11 Traditional medicine Edit In Ayurveda dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used as a common constituent 8 12 Buddhist symbolism EditIn the Buddhist tradition there are many references to the fruit of the emblic myrobalan In the Satapancasatka Buddha s knowledge is described in a poetic simile O Bhagavan the entire origination of all types of phenomena throughout time is within the range of your mind like an ambalan fruit in the palm of your hand 13 Half an amla fruit was the final gift to the Buddhist sangha by the great Indian emperor Ashoka This is illustrated in the Ashokavadana in the following verses A great donor the lord of men the eminent Maurya Ashoka has gone from being lord of Jambudvipa the continent to being lord of half a myrobalan 14 In Theravada Buddhism this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment or Bodhi by the twenty first Buddha named Phussa Buddha 15 Gallery Edit nbsp Amalaka at the top of the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar nbsp Hand of a standing Buddha statue holding a myrobalan nbsp Seed nbsp Fruits nbsp Leaves nbsp Trunk and main branches highlighting mottled bark nbsp Amla juice nbsp Amala in Bhopal Madhya Pradesh nbsp Amala size comparisonSee also EditEmblicanin Triphala an Ayurvedic mixture containing amlaReferences Edit Roland C 2020 Phyllanthus emblica IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020 e T149444430A149548926 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2020 3 RLTS T149444430A149548926 en Retrieved 19 November 2021 a b c d Phyllanthus emblica Germplasm Resources Information Network Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved 2008 03 06 Phyllanthus emblica L World Flora Online World Flora Consortium 2023 Archived from the original on 20 May 2023 Retrieved 25 April 2023 a b Phyllanthus emblica L Plants of the World Online Royal Botanical Gardens Kew Archived from the original on 1 June 2022 Retrieved 30 June 2022 a b c d e Lim T K 2012 Phyllanthus emblica Edible Medicinal And Non Medicinal Plants Springer Netherlands pp 258 296 doi 10 1007 978 94 007 4053 2 37 ISBN 9789400740525 Huxley A The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 1992 MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0 333 47494 5 Tarwadi K Agte V Aug 2007 Antioxidant and micronutrient potential of common fruits available in the Indian subcontinent Int J Food Sci Nutr 58 5 341 9 doi 10 1080 09637480701243905 PMID 17558726 S2CID 7663752 a b c Dharmananda S September 2003 Emblic myrobalans Amla Institute of Traditional Medicine Archived from the original on 2005 09 01 Retrieved 2006 02 07 Bhattacharya A Chatterjee A Ghosal S Bhattacharya S K 1999 Antioxidant activity of active tannoid principles of Emblica officinalis amla Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 37 7 676 680 PMID 10522157 Habib ur Rehman Yasin KA Choudhary MA et al Jul 2007 Studies on the chemical constituents of Phyllanthus emblica Nat Prod Res 21 9 775 81 doi 10 1080 14786410601124664 PMID 17763100 S2CID 30716746 de Clercq F S A 1909 Nieuw Plantkundig Woordenboek voor Nederlandsch Indie Amsterdam J H de Bussy p 303 Indian Ministry of Health and Family Planning The Ayurvedic Formulary of India Part I 1st ed Delhi 1978 Chen K 1952 The Satapancasatka of Matrceta Sanskrit Text Tibetan translation and commentary and Chinese translation Edited by D R Shackleton Bailey with an introduction English translation and notes Cambridge The University Press 1951 xi 237 p The Far Eastern Quarterly 11 3 408 410 doi 10 2307 2049590 Strong J S 1983 The Legend of King Ashoka New York Princeton University Press p 99 Buddha His Life His Teachings His Order Together with the History of the Buddhism Manmatha Nath Dutt Society for the resuscitation of Indian literature 1901 p 3External links Edit nbsp Media related to Phyllanthus emblica at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Phyllanthus emblica amp oldid 1176015444, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
