CG2010-2

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Dear Group Members,

 
   Please help in identification. Picture taken in Rajim Kumbh Mela, Chhattisgarh today. Sold as Ram Kanda. Sellers were from Nasik.

Pankaj Oudhia

[Dinesh Valke]

.... very very interesting ... would like to know about it ... am visualizing it to be a root stock of a giant herb !!

 

Regards.

 

 

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[Pankaj Oudhia]

Dinesh ji,

 Some more links (of Pictures taken in year 2007).

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=101316

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=101317

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=101318

http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=101319


Pankaj Oudhia

[Satish Phadke]

We used to see such things being sold roadside in Pune too during our childhood. Less commonly seen now a days though.

--

[R. Vijayasankar]

This is nothing but the rootstock of Agave americana or A. sisalana. The plant is uprooted in the stage of when it starts producing the flowering shoot (before flowering). At this stage the rootstock is (slightly) sweet due to enormous amount of starch stored for producing the robust inflorescence that happens once in its lifetime. Depend upon the plant size, the rootstock can be up to 1 m or at least 50 cm.

The local person collect this, add some cosmetics. He will wipe the center with cloth soaked in saccharine (u can't see that but) each time he makes a slice. So the slices will be very sweet.

We have prepared a photo album of all steps involved in this. 

If the id/plant is correct, the credit goes to Dr. D. Narasimhan of Madras Christian College, Chennai who told us about the plant. 

Maerua oblongifolia is another plant that is linked with the local name 'boomi sakkarai' meaning 'sweet tuber in the earth'. But its root never attain this size.

--
With regards

R. Vijayasankar
FRLHT, Bangalore

[Prashant awale]

Thanks Vijayasankar ji for sharing this info.

best wishes

Prashant

 

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Thanks Vijaysankar ji. End of this week I am going to meet the sellers again and this time I will try to make film.

If possible, please share your photo album with us.

Pankaj Oudhia

[Satish Phadke]

Thanks Vijaysankarji for the info.
At least somebody knows about it scientifically.
Dr Phadke

[Gurcharan Singh]

The group is blessed to have Vijayasankar ji & Shrikant ji, who are such a great store houses of knowledge. Thanks Garg ji for making them part of this group.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[promila chaturvedi]

Is it the same Agave americana which is said to be used by American Indians (Red Indians) to treat hydrofobia patients.
and a Homeopathic medicine is made out of it. 
Promila

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Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 20:47:32 +0530
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:27469] CG2010-2
From: phadke...@gmail.com
To: pankaj...@gmail.com
CC: vijay.b...@gmail.com; indian...@googlegroups.com

---

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[Pankaj Oudhia]

Yes, it is the same Agave. Good to check soil erosion and promising live fence.

Pankaj Oudhia

[Pankaj Oudhia]

New development :

As informed earlier I visited to meet the Ram Kand sellers today. They never share their trade secret but in Rs.2000 one of them invited me to inform about the plant as well as processing. He informed that it is not Agave americana. It is wild tuber which prefers sandy soil to grow. They collect it either from Amarkantak or Narsinghnath forest where soil is sandy.

He ruled out the use of Saccarin or other sweet material as the taste of tuber is itself sweet.

I visited to famous Sirpur Mela today and interacted with tens of Traditional Healers. Many guessed it as roots of old Bombax but they have never used it.

During interaction I got interesting information.

One of sellers married with a girl of village named Bhainsa and as result many relatives of the girl got information about this Ram Kand. They started growing it in village.

When I got this information without any delay started for that village but my little Maruti Alto failed to cross Mahanadi river having no bridge.

Planning to visit the village in coming days.

regards

Pankaj Oudhia 

[Gurcharan Singh]

Interesting information, Pankaj ji

Let us hope the thread opens up interesting information. As Tabish ji said the other day "Three cheers for efloraofindia group!". The interactions in the group are really becoming interesting.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[J.M. Garg]

Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise pl.

Earlier relevant feedback:

“This is nothing but the rootstock of Agave americana or A. sisalana. The plant is uprooted in the stage of when it starts producing the flowering shoot (before flowering). At this stage the rootstock is (slightly) sweet due to enormous amount of starch stored for producing the robust inflorescence that happens once in its lifetime. Depend upon the plant size, the rootstock can be up to 1 m or at least 50 cm.

The local person collect this, add some cosmetics. He will wipe the center with cloth soaked in saccharine (u can't see that but) each time he makes a slice. So the slices will be very sweet.

We have prepared a photo album of all steps involved in this.
If the id/plant is correct, the credit goes to Dr. D. Narasimhan of Madras Christian College, Chennai who told us about the plant.

Maerua oblongifolia is another plant that is linked with the local name 'boomi sakkarai' meaning 'sweet tuber in the earth'. But its root never attain this size.”

 

"New development :

As informed earlier I visited to meet the Ram Kand sellers today. They never
share their trade secret but in Rs.2000 one of them invited me to inform
about the plant as well as processing. He informed that it is not Agave
americana. It is wild tuber which prefers sandy soil to grow. They collect
it either from Amarkantak or Narsinghnath forest where soil is sandy.
He ruled out the use of Saccarin or other sweet material as the taste of
tuber is itself sweet.
I visited to famous Sirpur Mela today and interacted with tens of
Traditional Healers. Many guessed it as roots of old Bombax but they have
never used it.
During interaction I got interesting information.
One of sellers married with a girl of village named Bhainsa and as result
many relatives of the girl got information about this Ram Kand. They started
growing it in village.
When I got this information without any delay started for that village but
my little Maruti Alto failed to cross Mahanadi river having no bridge.
Planning to visit the village in coming days.
regards
Pankaj Oudhia"

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With regards,
J.M.Garg (jmg...@gmail.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1
'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'
Image Resource of more than a thousand species of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise): http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg
For learning about Indian Flora, visit/ join Google e-group- Efloraofindia:http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Dear Garg ji,

  I am traveling to Bengaluru and Mysore this week end. After returning back try to visit Bhainsa village for confirmation.

Pankaj Oudhia

[J.M. Garg]

Dear Group Members,

 
   Please help in identification. Picture taken in Rajim Kumbh Mela, Chhattisgarh today. Sold as Ram Kanda. Sellers were from Nasik.

Pankaj Oudhia

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