Nelli

• Common Name In Sri Lanka:

  Nelli

• Scientific Name:

  Phyllanthus emblica

• Other Names:

• Zone:

• Size of Tree:

• Status:

• Average Height:

  

  Up to 15 meters

• Identification

  A deciduous tree with flaky, greyish bark and a rounded top. Branchlets are feather-like, about 10-25 cm long, with a double row of 30-100 small leaves, each linear-elliptical in shape, about 1-2 cm long and 1-5 mm broad. Small greenish-white flowers are found in clusters, especially around the middle portions of the branchlets at the nodes of leaves. Fruits are globose, about 2.5-3 cm in diameter, fleshy, pale green or whitish, with a few seeds.

• Habitat

  Common in forests bordering the intermediate zone.

• Special Notes

  Native. Ornamental tree, fruit is edible and used as one of the three component s of ‘thripala’ in Ayurvedic medicine. Grown in home gardens as a fruit tree.