<i style="">Elaeagnus</i> <i style="">kologa</i> Schlecht. – An under utilized edible and endemic fruit plant in Nilgiris, the western ghats

Abstract

The wild plant species, <i style="">Elaeagnus kologa</i> Schlecht. belonging to the family Elaeagnaceae, is endemic and generally distributed in the high altitudes of Nilgiris in the margins of moist deciduous forests with sizable populations. The fruits (drupe) of this species are edible and reported to have high content of proteins, minerals and vitamins comparable to common fruits like oranges, grapes, guava and others. Its fruits are available in the month of March and April and sold in the markets of Nilgiri district. For the past few decades due to the nutritional significance, the fruits are exploited severely by the local public, tribals and other herb gatherers due to which the population of the species is getting decreased. In addition, the lower germination percentage determined is also a factor for the less population of the species in Nilgiris. Hence, to conserve this species appropriate cultivation technology must be developed&nbsp; and can be practiced in degraded forests.