Bark
Light gray, fibrous bark on zigzagging branches armed with sharp, rigid, forked (Y-shaped) spines up to 5 cm long.
Carissa spinarum
Syn. Carissa opaca
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
(LC)
Local name
- Karaunda (Hindi)
- Avigna (Sanskrit), Karvanda (Marathi)
Shrub type
Evergreen
Deciduous
Family: Apocynaceae
3m
Indicated uses
Medicinal
Edible
Ornamental
Avenue
Other
Flowering & fruiting
Flowering
Fruiting
Key characters
Leaves
Glossy, leathery, dark green leaves (1–5 cm long) that are ovate to elliptic, opposite, and emit a milky sap.
Flower
Fragrant, star-shaped white flowers (sometimes tinged pink) arranged in small clusters, featuring a narrow, tubular corolla.
Fruit / Seeds
Small, globose berries (1 cm) changing from green to glossy black, filled with milky sap and 2 to 4 flat seeds.
Did you know?
Known as Conkerberry or Bush Plum in northern Australia, its ripe black berries are eaten fresh or dried by Indigenous communities and native wildlife.
Distribution
Africa to Indo-China.