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Ekatra
  • ગંગેટી (Grewia tenax)

    dune_ninja

  • ગંગેટી (Grewia tenax)

    dune_ninja

  • ગંગેટી (Grewia tenax)

    rithika fernandes

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ગંગેટી

Grewia tenax

Small-leaf White Raisin

Native

Commonly known as Small-Leaved Crossberry, Gangeti, Gango, Gangi, White Crossberry, Phalsa Cherry, Raisin Bush.

A very slow-growing, thorny, deciduous shrub, 0.5-6 metres tall, with pure white flowers and orange-yellow fruit that splits into two neat halves. Its fruit tastes something like a hazelnut and is genuinely iron-rich, making it a useful addition to diets in the drier regions where it grows.

Habit Shrub
Origin Native
Flowering Winter
Edible Yes
Sun Full sun to part shade
Water Steady moisture · drought tolerant once established
Drainage Needs to drain well
Soil Sandy, clay, rocky
Started from Seed

No specific wildlife-relationship data recorded for this species.

  • Germination is naturally difficult, but washing and scrubbing the seed thoroughly to remove all fruit flesh has achieved germination rates above 75%, with sprouting within about 10 days.

No cultural-significance data recorded for this species.

  • Fruit is eaten fresh or dried, added to 'medida' porridge, and made into a refreshing, iron-rich drink.
  • Medicinally, its real strength lies in the soothing mucilage found in its leaves, stems, and roots, taken internally for diarrhoea and dysentery, and applied externally to wounds, cuts, and ulcers.
  • Root poultices treat skin diseases, and a bark mucilage with documented bactericidal activity is used against tuberculosis.
  • Women traditionally use a bark preparation against hair vermin, and it's a component in a traditional typhoid remedy.
  • Research has found CNS-depressant activity in an ethanolic extract of the plant's aerial parts.

These uses are documented for information only and are not medical advice. Always verify the species and the plant part before use.

Drier areas of Africa, through Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, in dry Acacia woodland, sandy and clay depressions, and rocky terrain up to 1,800m.

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