About Phyllanthus emblica L.
Phyllanthus emblica L. is a small to medium-sized tree that reaches 1–8 metres (3 1⁄2–26 feet) in height. It has mottled bark. Its branchlets are finely pubescent (not glabrous), 10–20 centimetres (4–8 inches) long, and are usually deciduous. The main blooming season for this species is March to April. Grafted trees begin flowering after 3 to 4 years of growth, while seed-grown trees may take 7 to 10 years to start flowering. The leaves are simple, subsessile, and closely arranged along branchlets. They are light green in color and resemble pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish-yellow, with a smooth and hard outward appearance, marked by six vertical stripes or furrows. Fruits can grow up to 26 millimetres (1 inch) in diameter; wild fruits weigh approximately 5.5 grams (0.2 ounces), while cultivated fruits average 28.4 g (1 oz) to 56 g (2 oz). The fruit ripens in autumn, and is harvested by hand after climbing to the upper branches that bear it. Its taste is sour, bitter and astringent, and it has a distinctly fibrous texture. In the traditional medicinal system of Ayurveda, both dried and fresh fruits of Phyllanthus emblica L. are used as a common constituent.
