Plants of Manipur

Alder उतीस Alnus nepalensis A nitrogen-fixing pioneer of Himalayan landslides and north-eastern jhum fallows. Areca Nut सुपारी Areca catechu Slim palm of the wet south-west and north-east, grown in dense stands. Areca Palm सुपारी Areca catechu The slender betel-nut palm of the wet coasts, grown in dense shaded gardens. Ashoka Tree सीता अशोक Saraca asoca The true ashoka — orange flower clusters on a small shade-loving tree of wet forest. Assam Lemon कागजी नेमु Citrus limon var. The thin-skinned Assam lemon, fragrant enough to scent a whole kitchen. Assam Tea चाय Camellia sinensis var. assamica The tea of the Brahmaputra valley — one bush on a balcony is enough for a pot. Balsam गुलमेहंदी Impatiens balsamina A monsoon annual of verandah pots, with seed pods children cannot leave alone. Bamboo बांस Bambusa balcooa The fastest usable material on earth; one clump supplies poles for years. Bamboo Shoot Species बांस करील Dendrocalamus hamiltonii The north-eastern shoot bamboo — fermented shoots are a regional staple. Banana केला Musa acuminata A single sucker in a corner gives shade, cooking leaves and, in time, fruit. Barnyard Millet सांवा Echinochloa frumentacea A hill millet that tolerates waterlogging better than any other grain. Bay Leaf Tree तेजपत्ता Cinnamomum tamala The tejpatta of the sub-Himalayan tract — three-veined leaves, straight off the tree. Betel Leaf पान Piper betle The paan vine — grown in shaded enclosures across Bengal and the east. Bhringraj भृंगराज Eclipta prostrata A low monsoon weed of wet ground, gathered for hair oil for as long as anyone remembers. Bhut Jolokia भूत जोलोकिया Capsicum chinense The ghost chilli of Nagaland — a genuine regional speciality, and ferocious. Bilimbi बिलिम्बी Averrhoa bilimbi Sour fruit straight off the trunk, in constant supply on the wet coasts. Bird’s Nest Fern पक्षी घोंसला फर्न Asplenium nidus A rosette epiphyte that grows on a tree fork or a shaded wall bracket. Black Pepper काली मिर्च Piper nigrum The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity. Black Pepper Vine काली मिर्च Piper nigrum The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity. Blue Vanda नील ऑर्किड Vanda coerulea The blue vanda of Meghalaya — tessellated flowers, and protected in the wild. Brahmi ब्राह्मी Bacopa monnieri A creeping marsh herb happy in a wide bowl of wet soil — the one plant you cannot… Buckwheat कुट्टू Fagopyrum esculentum A Himalayan pseudo-grain that flowers white and feeds every bee for miles. Cardamom इलायची Elettaria cardamomum Green cardamom of the Western Ghats — deep shade, cool air and steady rain. Cardamom Large बड़ी इलायची Amomum subulatum Black cardamom of Sikkim — deep shade under alder, at hill altitudes. Champak चम्पा Magnolia champaca Orange-yellow flowers whose scent carries across a whole garden at dusk. Chinese Hat Plant टोपी फूल Holmskioldia sanguinea A sub-Himalayan scrambler with brick-red bracts through the cool months. Chirata चिरायता Swertia chirayita An intensely bitter Himalayan herb of mid-altitude meadows, slow and particular. Chow Chow इस्कुस Sechium edule The squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern hills. Cinnamon दालचीनी Cinnamomum verum Coppiced for its inner bark; the leaf is a spice in its own right. Colocasia अरबी Colocasia esculenta Big-leaved and happy in a wet corner; corms below, edible leaves above. Common Reed नरकुल Phragmites karka The tall reed of Indian riverbanks, and the standard plant for a reed-bed filter. Dendrobium संचारी Dendrobium nobile Cane orchid of the eastern hills, flowering along last year’s bare canes. Elephant Foot Yam जिमीकंद Amorphophallus paeoniifolius One corm fills a large pot and returns a much bigger one in a year. Finger Millet रागी Eleusine coracana A tough small-grained millet of the southern and Himalayan hills. Foxtail Orchid द्रौपदी माला Rhynchostylis retusa The kopou phul of Assam — hanging foxtail sprays, and the flower of Bihu. Giant Taro मान कचु Alocasia macrorrhizos Enormous upright leaves for a wet shaded corner — architecture rather than a crop. Ginger अदरक Zingiber officinale The same trick as turmeric, in slightly more shade and slightly less time. Ginger Lily कपूर कचरी Hedychium spicatum A Himalayan ginger relative with scented white flowers and aromatic rhizomes. Himalayan Cherry पदम Prunus cerasoides Pink blossom in November, out of season by every other measure — the hill wild cherry. Hooker Chives मैरोई नकुप्पी Allium hookeri The thick-rooted chive of Manipur, eaten root and leaf together. Indian Bay Leaf तेजपत्ता Cinnamomum tamala The tejpatta of north Indian cooking — a hill tree, not the Mediterranean bay. Indian Butter Tree चिउरी Diploknema butyracea A sub-Himalayan tree giving edible fat and enormous quantities of nectar. Indian Mahogany टून Toona ciliata A tall hill-forest tree with pinnate leaves and scented pink-tinged timber. Indian Pennywort Water ब्राह्मी जल Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides A creeping mat for the wet edge of a terrace pond or a bowl garden. Indian Valerian तगर Valeriana jatamansi A hill herb of stream banks with aromatic roots and heads of small white flowers. Ironwood नागकेसर Mesua ferrea Glossy drooping new leaves in pink, then white flowers with a gold centre. Jackfruit कटहल Artocarpus heterophyllus One tree feeds a street. Green for sabzi, ripe for the sweetest fruit there is. Job’s Tears गुरलु Coix lacryma-jobi Hard glossy grain used as food, as beads and as a brewing grain in the hills.