Myrica esculenta

Myrica esculenta is a evergreen tree of medium height, about tall. The yellow bark is soft and brittle. Its leaves are conjoint, feet long, and has leaflets in pairs of 6 to 9 and it has a width of . The flowers are white in color and are found in bunches. The fruit is a globose, succulent drupe, with a hard endocarp; diameter ; average mass . Similar looking to a mulberry. Seeds are triangular in shape and are astringent in taste. ==Taxonomy==

Known locally as 'kaphal' or 'kafal' in Uttarakhand and Nepal,'sohphie' in Meghalaya or 'maching' in Nyshi language of Arunachal Pradesh). It has four known varieties; • Myrica esculenta var. balansae • Myrica esculenta var. chevalieri • Myrica esculenta var. esculenta • Myrica esculenta var. tonkinensis According to Ayurveda, it has two varieties based on the color of flower: Shweta (white) and Rakta (red). ==Distribution==

It is native to the hills of Uttarakhand, western Nepal and the eastern part of the Indian Himayalan states such as Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and southern Bhutan. It is also found in Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, southern China, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Myanmar, Philippines, Sumatera, Thailand and Vietnam. ==Habitat==

Myrica esculenta is found in the hilly regions of northern India, and Nepal, especially in the regions of Garhwal, Kumaon and Eastern part of Himayala of Himachal Pradesh. Mainly in Shimla, Mandi Solan & Sirmaur districts, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, southern Bhutan, and western Nepal, especially at elevations of above sea level. It is also found at elevations below in the mid-hills of Nepal. It is also found in Pakke-Kessang, Lower subansiri, kurung kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. ==Chemical constituents==

, Nepal. The bark contains the chemical substances; myricetin, myricitrin and glycosides. Polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamin C are some phytochemicals that have been found in the fruits. An extract of the fruit of plant species was reported to lower oxidative stresses (Shri et al. 2018). ==References==