Fruit and Nut Trees

This nut tree is a member of the Family Sapotaceae. It is a tropical tree, adapted to arid environments and it is found largely in the north Indian plains and forests. It is commonly known as mahwa.

Illipe nuts come from a genus with about eighty-five members, including sapote and other delicious fruits. Madhuca is certainly the most important genus as the fat produced from the seeds is often used to extend ghee and coconut butter.

Illipe is a fast growing tree that could grow top 20 meters in height with evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. It is cultivated for its wood, flowers but most importantly for its oleaginous seeds. There are two crops of nuts per year, one large and the other smaller. Depending on maturity each tree can produce between 20 and 200 kg of seeds annually.

The nuts are oval, long, and smooth with coffee-colored seeds. They contain saponin, which renders them unsuitable for consumption since the substance is a destructive to the blood. However, the oil extracted is similar to lard and it has been used for a number of purposes including skin care products, to make soap and/or detergents, and as a vegetable butter.

The oil can also be used as a fuel since vegetable oils have similar qualities to that of diesel oil. The residue obtained after extraction of oil from seeds makes a very good fertilizer. The bark is used for medicinal purposes and the flowers to produce an alcoholic drink.

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