Embelia ribes

Plant profile

Embelia ribes

Morphological Characteristics

• It is a large scandant shrub with long branches, slender, flexible, terete and long internodes.
• The bark is studded with lenticels.
• Leaves are coriacous, 5X2-4 cm long, elliptic or ellipticlanceolate, shortly and obtusely acuminate, entire, glabrous on both sides, shining above, pales and somewhat silvery beneath, base rounded or acute and main nerves numerous.
• Petioles are more or less margined and glabrous.

Floral Characteristics

• Flowers are small, greenish-yellow, numerous in lax panicled racemes.
• Calyx is minute, sepals connate, broadly triangular, ovate and ciliate.
• Petals are 5 and free and stamens are 5, but shorter than the petals.
• Flowering time is February.
• Fruits are 2.4-4.0 mm in diameter and globular with warty surface, smooth, succulent.
• The colour of fruit is dull black and rarely dull red.

Distribution

The plant is found in moist and shady places upto an altitude of 1500 meter.

Climate and Soil

• Tropical and subtropical climate is required for the cultivation of this crop.
• Medium black well drained soils are best suited for the crop.
• The optimum temperature required for the crop is 18ºC-35ºC, with annual precipitation of 700 to 1500 mm.

Propagation Material

E. ribes is propagated through seeds.

Agro-technique

• Planting in the Field Land Preparation and Fertilizer Application: Crop is raised through direct sowing of seeds in the field during June-July. The field is well ploughed followed by harrowing to bring the soils to a fine tilth and free from weeds. The application of organic manure (FYM) at the rate of 5-10 t/ha is recommended.
• Transplanting and Optimum Spacing: Seeds are sown directly in the field at optimum spacing of 1.0 X1.0 meter.
• Inter cultural Operations: The inter culture operations like weeding, protective irrigation, support or staking are to be done periodically as and when required.
• Disease and Pest Control: No major disease and pest is noted. However, in case of severe infestation bio-control measures are to be adopted.

Harvest management

• Crop Maturity and Harvesting: The crop matures after 5-6 months of its sowing and the fruiting starts in October-November, when these are plucked and stored after shade drying.
• Chemical Constituents: Seeds of Embelia ribes contain embelin 2.5–3.1%; quercitol 1.0%; fatty ingredients 5.3% and alkaloid schristembine, a resinoid, tannins and minute quantity of volatile oils.
• Yield : The crop yield is 190-200 kg seeds per hectare.

Therapeutic Uses

• The fruits of Embelia ribes known in commerce as Baibidang are recommended for relieving headache, rhinitis, haemorrhage, epilepsy and insomnia.
• The decoction of dried fruits is used for fever and for chest and skin disease.
• Paste is applied for skin infection.
• The drug also exhibits significant anti-fertility, antipyretic and antibacterial activity.
• The fruit powder, when taken with milk, followed by a purgative has been one of the ancient remedies to get rid of tapeworms.
• An infusion of the roots is given in the treatment of cough and diarrhoea.
• Fruits show antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.
• Embelin, which is one of the active principles of the drug, is reported to possess a property of colouring silk and woolen fabrics.