Rhus chinensis: A Useful Wild Plant
Scientific name: Rhus chinensis or (Rhus javanica)
English name: Nutgall tree or Chinese gall
Nepali name: Bhakkiamilo
Rai name: Mahada
Family: Anacardiaceae
Flowering season: August to September
Description: Rhus chinensis or Rhus javanica is a deciduous small tree that grows up to 7- 12 m tall. It offers tannin-rich imparipinnate leaves, pale yellow flowers, and edible fruit with acid flavor. This is a wild plant found in temperate to tropical regions.
Sometimes, the branches of Rhus chinensis break easily in strong winds because they are weak in comparison to other woods. It is one of the dye plants. We can also extract blue color from the galls and brown color from the plant leaves.
In Nepal, mostly it grows in the hilly regions including the Bhojpur district. The people of these districts harvest mature fruits from the forest. Then they use as medicine (treat Diarrhoea).
In the same way people consume it as a pickle. The salt and chili powder makes fresh fruits tastier. But In Nepal, Rhus chinensis has not been cultivated on a commercial scale yet.
I hope this article helped you to know about Rhus chinensis.
