LEH BERRY: AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF VITAMIN C

Plant Morphology

(Photograph courtesy: Wikipedia at) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hippophae_rhamnoides-01_%28xndr%29.JPG)

Botanical Name: Hippophae rhamnoides  subsp. turkestanica                    (Synonym: Hippophae turkestanica)

Family: Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster family)

Common Names:

English: Leh berry, Sea buckthorn, Sallow thorn, Sand thorn

India: Chharma, Tirkug (Lahul-Spiti, H.P), Suak (Pangi, H.P.), Sirna, Tasru, Tsarna, Tsermang (Ladakh)

Distribution: Pakistan to Europe, Northwest Himalaya in the higher Tibetan plateau at 2100-3600 m.

Habitats: Riversides in the subalpine to lower alpine zones.

Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. turkestanica plant in early June at Nako Lake in Kinnaur (H.P.)

Morphology: Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. turkestanica is a thorny and deciduous shrub growing to 6 m by 2.5 m at a medium growth rate. The crown is irregular with rigid and silvery twigs and leaves. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped, alternate, 2-6 cm long, and covered on both sides with silvery-white scales. The undersides of the leaves have brown dots. The plants are unisexual (dioecious) with either male or female flowers. The flowers are present in clusters, inconspicuous, yellow and appear before leaves. Each fruit is a 1-seeded, reddish-orange berry that measures 5-12 mm in size. Sea buckthorn plants can fix nitrogen.

Flowering: June

Fruiting: September-October

Ripe fruits of Leh berry

(Photograph courtesy: Wikimedia Commons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seabuckthorn_berries,_Nubra_valley,_Ladakh.jpg)

Uses:

Fruits:  The reddish-orange berries are soft, juicy, rich in oils and edible. They are nutritious, very acidic and unpleasant to eat raw. The juice of berries can be mixed with sweeter substances such as sugars and apple or grape juices. The juice is very rich in vitamin C. Its juice is available in the Indian market under the trade names ‘Leh Berry’ and ‘Ladakh Berry’. It has a market of over Rs. 6 crores in India and over Rs 17,000 crores in China. The fruits can also be processed into preserves, jam and squash.

 

Ethnobotanical uses:  The berries are eaten in Lahul & Spiti (Himachal Pradesh, India). The fruit infusion is relished by children. It is considered a tonic, aphrodisiac and medicine for tuberculosis.

Medicinal uses: The twigs and leaves have astringent and vermifuge properties. Medicinal oil obtained from fruits is used in the treatment of cardiac disorders, healing of burns and eczema.  Fresh juice is used in the treatment of colds, fever and exhaustion. Berries are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Ample amounts of vitamins A, C, E and flavonoids have been reported from them. 

Cultivation: The plants can be propagated through seeds, suckers and stem cuttings. They are very hardy and can tolerate a temperature of about -25°C but require sunny slopy sides for their proper growth. The seeds are sown in spring in sunny locations. Cold stratification for three months considerably improves the germination percentage.  The male seedlings can be easily differentiated from the females in the spring as males have very prominent axillary buds. The plants produce suckers, which can be used as a planting material as well. The stem cuttings of half-ripe wood can also be used for propagation at the end of autumn or early in the spring.