Description
Pomegranate is deciduous shrub or a small
tree with a dark grey bark, 5-8 meters high.
Leaves are opposite, oblong, 2.5-6 cm long.
Flowers at terminals or auxiliary, solitary,
large, orange red. Calyx persistent, prolonged
above the ovary. Petals 1.2-2.5 cm long, thin
and wrinkled. Fruits are large, globose, 5-8
cm across, indehiscent with red pulp. Seeds
are angular.
Origin and Distribution
The crop is indigenous
to Southern Europe and Mediterranean area.
It is distributed in the warmer regions of
both the hemispheres. It is widely cultivated
in Iran, Afghanistan and Baluchistan. In India
it is grown in almost all states but cultivated
in large scale in the States of Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Himachal
Pradesh. It thrives best in places with a
hot dry summer, with irrigation. In humid
weather the quality of fruit is not good.
It grows up to a height of 1600 mtr MSL. It
can tolerate alkaline and wet soil.
Uses
The seed dried
with pulp is used as a spice in many dishes.
The fruit juice is cooling and refrigerant.
The fruit rind is useful in chronic dysentery
and diarrhoea. The pulp and seeds are stomachic
and are also used as laxative. The flower
buds are used in bronchitis.
