The famous genus Pseudostichopus in Britain and gooseberry in Bangladesh

A plant of the genus Apocynaceae. Native to India and Sri Lanka, widely distributed in Asia, Africa and Oceania. It is cultivated in Taiwan Province Province, Guangdong Province and Hainan Province of China, and is mainly used as a garden tree species. Evergreen shrub, 3 ~ 6m high, with cracked bark and milky white whole plant. Low-branched, multi-branched, drooping, curved, green shoots, and a pair of ya-shaped spikes, 2 ~ 3 cm long and 7 ~ 8 cm long, are often forked. The leaves are opposite, oval, 4 ~ 8 cm long, pointed or slightly concave at the apex, thick leathery, dark green and shiny. Cymes axillary, flower diameter1.7 ~ 2.5cm, 5 petals, white, tubular, closed at the base, reddish and fragrant. Berry oval, about 2.5 cm long, smooth and thin skin, dark red or dark purple when mature. There are two types: long fruit type and round fruit type, and usually there are four dark brown seeds (Figure 4-5, Color Figure 60). Drought and barren resistance, strong adaptability to soil, but sandy fertile soil with good drainage has better effect. Generally, seeds are used for propagation, which germinate 20 ~ 60 days after sowing, and cuttings or layering can also be used for propagation. Seedlings can be planted with a height of 60cm, with a spacing of 3 ~ 4 m and a fence of 40 ~ 60 cm. The branches of Nitraria tangutorum are low and easy to grow, so young trees need pruning. Small trees should be fertilized every time they sprout, and the resulting trees should be fertilized in spring and autumn. It is usually harvested after three years of planting. 65438 blooms from October to April and matures from May to August. The single plant can bear 14 ~ 18 kg at high yield stage. The fruit is sweet and can be eaten raw. It can also be used to make jam, juice and jelly, as cake stuffing or fruit pudding, and as raw material for kimchi or curry. Boil the jar with sugar water and hide the red pulp, which can be used as the ingredient of canned fruits and vegetables. Roots can be used as medicine, which has the effects of invigorating stomach and treating scabies.

There is also a variety in India, C.carandas var.dulcis Wester, which is small, round and sweet and suitable for fresh fruit. C.grandiflora A.DC, named Amatingula, is native to Africa, with large flowers, beautiful fruits, big thorns and small and dense leaves. Ripe fruit can be used to make pies.

(Xu Shupei)

Figure 4-5 Guo Huang

1. There are two left. Fruit 3. Flowers 4. Flower outline

(Li Jianing imitates Illustration of Chinese Higher Plants.