Wild Guava, Kumbha (Careya arborea)

Wild Guava, Kumbha  (Careya arborea)

Wild Guava, Kumbha  (Careya arborea)

Botanical name:  Careya arborea

 Family: Lecythidaceae (Brazilnut Family)

Common name: Wild Guava, Ceylon Oak, Patana Oak 

• Marathi: कुम्भा Kumbha 

•  Sanskrit: Bhadrendrani, गिरिकर्णिका Girikarnika, Kaidarya, कालिंदी Kalindi

Wild Guava is a medium sized deciduous tree, up to 20 m tall, the leaves of which turn red in the cold season. It is the Kumbhi of Sanskrit writers, and appear to have been so named on account of the hollow on the top of the fruit giving it somewhat the appearance of a water-pot. 

Wild pigs are very fond of the bark, and that it is used by hunters to attract them. he Tamil name Puta-tanni-maram signifies ”water- bark-tree,” in allusion to the exudation trickling down the bark in dry weather (ref: FlowersOfIndia) 

Grey Count uses kumbha as its host plant