Rare Calabash tree flowers, bears fruit

The rare Calabash tree, commonly called Beggar's Bowl tree, has flowered and bearing fruit at the Botanical Gardens in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here.
Calabash, botanically known as Crescentia cujete, belongs to the family Bignoniaceae and is a native of tropical and sub-tropical regions of South America.
According to a release, totally seven species are available in the genus Crescentia, in which Crescentia cujete is introduced in India and get its popularity due to its ornamental value.
It is a small, evergreen tree which grows up to 10 metres with a straight trunk and open crown.The bark is light grey and relatively smooth in appearance, while leaves are narrow at the base, flaring towards the apex.

Flowers are stalked, tubular and they will bear throughout the year as solitarily or in clusters on older parts of the trunk or larger branches, the release said.
According to it, fruits, also referred to as gourds, appear very attractive which mature slowly, remaining on the tree for up to seven months.This gourd is used as storage containers, bowls, scoops, ladles, ornamental boxes and musical instruments.
The fruit pulp is used in folk medicine for respiratory problems such as asthma, laxative,expectorant, anthelmintic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory.