Tree of a different species

(February 2013- initially shared on 'gather')

One of the blessings of our native language is that we have a name for every tree around us. And I am sad why the English man has to add the suffix ‘tree’ to every flora that grows above me, has roots, and branches or grand foliage of its own. 

For him, it is Mango Tree, Apple Tree, Jackfruit Tree, Redwood Tree and what not tree. The logic is upside down. For us a Mavu gives Manga whereas for him, Mango is from a Mango Tree and so on.

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We thought of sharing this different tree we found in the orchard.

The fruit is called ‘Kulamanga’. I leave it to you then to find out what the tree is called.

 I only request to pronounce it this way: ‘Kula’ as an ‘a is added to the last ‘l in ‘Call’ similar to the one before its first ‘l and ‘u same as in ‘put’! (Cull’a). Now Manga as such an ‘a is added to ‘pang’ while substituting P with M (Mang’a). Clear?

Not to be confused with ‘Mangakula’ this is same as a bunch of mangoes. And not to be again confused with ‘Kula Manga’ when ’l is as in love and ‘ng is as in Mango which means a lady of a family of repute!

I could not find anything on Google or elsewhere but something which raised doubts about an African origin. No clues. Perhaps there is another name. I am no student of Botany.

Let us look at the beans inside the nut which is the edible part. They feel very tasty like almonds or its native varieties. The birds eat the small cover of flesh (fruit) and leave the nuts to us so there is no cause for a row except with squirrels.

A harvest of enough magnitude so the tree is even commercially viable I feel, if we make an arrangement with these birds and squirrels so we can mechanize extracting the beans from the nuts.

This is a young. The leaves are long and large but not as hard as of a Mango Tree, they resemble Malabar Nut.  The tree can grow as big as a Mango Tree. The bark also looks similar to a Mango Tree.

I am not sure if it is African or Asian or even South American. No idea of any medicinal properties or the content of these beans.

But I am sure many such species have been extinct in our State by the invasion of human habitats. We lost many native varieties of mango trees, rice and other local flora to commercial crops like rubber, cashew etc. I still remember the taste of a fruit from a shrub found in hilly terrain around our primary school which my friend called ‘Kara’ fruit. Not to be seen anymore as rubber invaded.

This one I have never seen or tasted before, so it looks nice and worthy of a share!