Family:  Moraceae 
Synonym: Ficus glomerata, Covellia glomerata.
Common name: Cluster fig tree, Indian fig tree or goolar (gular) fig.
Local name: Umre ( ऊमरे).

Umre plant is an evergreen or deciduous tree.  It is large in size, trunk deeply buttressed and often with an irregular canopy. Umre is commonly seen in open, deciduous forest, moist areas, beside rivers and streams. It is found up to an altitude of 1200 m in Western Himalayas. Plant prefers full sunlight to partial shade and succeeds well in most soils that are reasonably moist and well-drained.



       Umre tree showing irregular canopy

                    Umre is a multipurpose tree for the people of western Himalayas. It is cultivated sometime, for its multifarious uses which includes its uses as a food, fodder, fuel, spiritual, medicine and aesthetic value. Tree is grown as an ornamental tree in parks, large gardens and  also cultivated in private land for its spiritual uses.

         Umre fruits and young shoots are edible and eaten raw or cooked. Raw fruits are pickled and sold by members of various SHG in Himachal Pradesh, thus Umre is a good source of earning for poor people. Leaves are also cooked as a vegetable. Its wood is used for preparing low-quality items and as a fuel.

Close up of Umre fruits

Umare Plant:

Large deciduous trees, to 25-30 m tall; bole buttressed can be 36 – 90cm in diameter; bark 8-10 mm thick, surface reddish-brown or yellowish-brown smooth, coarsely flaky, fibrous; blaze creamy pink; latex milky;

Tender shoots and twigs finely white hairy, soon glabrous; branchlets 1.5-3 mm thick, puberulous.

Leaves simple, alternate, petiolate 10-13 cm long, stipules 12-18 mm long, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, pubescent, often persistent on young shoots; petiole10-50 mm long, slender, grooved above, becoming brown scurfy; lamina 6-15 x 3.5-6 cm, ovate, obovate, elliptic-oblong, elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic-ovate or oblong-ovate, base acute, obtuse or cuneate, apex narrowed, blunt or acute, margin entire, membranous, glabrous, blistered appearance on drying; 3-ribbed from base, 4-8 pairs, slender, pinnate, prominent beneath, intercostae reticulate, obscure.

A tree of Umre

            Flowers unisexual; inflorescence a syconia, on short or larger leafless branches or warty tubercles of trunk, subglobose to pyriform, smooth, often lenticellate-verrucose; peduncle 3-12 mm long, stout, orifice plane or slightly sunken, closed by 5-6 apical bracts; internal bristles none; basal bracts 3, 1-2 m long, ovate-triangular, obtuse, persistent; flowers of unisexual, 4 kinds; male flowers near the mouth of receptacles, in 2-3 rings, sessile, much compressed; tepals 3-4, dentate-lacerate, lobes jointed below, red, glabrous; stamens 2, exserted; filaments 1 mm, connate below; anthers oblong, parallel; female flowers sessile or very shortly stalked among gall flowers; tepals 3-4, dentate-lacerate, lobes jointed below, red, glabrous, ovary superior, sessile or sub stipitate, red spotted; style 2-3 mm long, glabrous, simple; stigma clavate; gall flowers long stalked; ovary dark red, rough; style short.

Close up of Umre tree

Figs subglobuse, 2.5 x 3.5 cm, red or orange, when ripe, in short thick, paniculate clusters, on the trunk and large branches, rarely axillary, peduncled. achene granulate.

Umare plant can provide edible fruits in April-July and tender leaves throughout the year.To ensure sustainable harvesting fruits should be harvested on rotation basis and some fruits should be left on parent plant for regeneration.

Edible uses:

As already stated, unripe fruits are pickled and cooked as a vegetable. The fruit can be dried and ground into a flour and can be eaten with sugar and milk. The Ripe fruits are sweet, but vapid in taste. Tender shoots and leaves can also be prepared as vegetable. The leaves of this plant are rich in flavonoids, triterpenoids (basically lanosterol), alkaloids, and tannins (Shiksharthi & Mittal, 2010). Therefore, leaves are eaten for its medicinal value. 

Harvesting Umre fruits

.

Preparing Umre Vegetable:

Ingredients:

Umre fruits cut into two pieces,1 kg; mustard oil, 3-4 table spoons; coriander powder, ½ table spoon; fenugreek powder,1 tea spoon; cumin seed, 1 table spoon; turmeric powder, 1 table spoon; medium sized red chilies, 2-4; medium sized chopped onion, 1; chopped garlic cloves, 4-5; tomato puree half cup; salt, according to taste.

Harvested Umre Fruits

Method:

Boil raw fruits till they become soft. Let them cool. Then mesh fruits with hand and sauté in hot oil by adding spices mentioned before in the same sequence. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and then the vegetable is ready to serve. It is usually served with chappatis.

Meshed Umre fruits after boiling
Umre vegetable ready to serve

Fruits can also be prepared like vegetable curry. For this meshed fruit are sauted with spices in hot mustered oil and curd or butter milk is added to it after mixing with 2 table spoon of vasen (black gram flour). Cook for 10-15 minutes and add garam masala. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice or chappati.

Umre vegetable curry ready to serve

 

Parantha:

Parantha  is a  morning breakfast prepared served with curd/butter/pickle/chutney etc. It can be cooked with any greens/boiled potatoes/cheese or some wild boiled fruits like fig spp.

Ingredients:

Boiled umre fruits; 1/2 kg Oil or ghee. 8-10 table spoon; wheat flour, 4 cup amount; green chopped leaves (Mint/ curry leaves/ coriander etc ) chopped medium sized onion, 2-3, red or green chilies, 3-4, black pepper, ¼ tea spoon, black salt according to taste.

Method:

Mesh boiled umre fruits. Add to it chopped  leaves and spices listed above. Mix well to make Fine paste. Now parantha dough is prepared by mixing wheat flour and water. Knead dough till it is soft, let it rest for sometime. Make small round balls of dough, stuff paste inside balls and roll to thin layered flat breads, Now in hot tawa smear some oil and place flatbread over it. Cook both sides by applying oil. Now parantha is ready to serve. Serve it hot with chutney/ tomato ketchup/ pickle / butter/ curd according to choice.

Parantha ready to serve

Kachuri:

Ingredient:

Boiled umre fruits, 1 kg; wheat flour, 7-8 cup amount; yeast, 5-10 g; mustard oil, 1/2 liter; fenugreek powder, 1/2 table spoon; cumin seed, 1 tea spoon;  turmeric powder, 1-3 table spoon; red chilies; 10-15; grated ginger , 250 g; , Chopped green coriander, tirmir (Zanthoxylum armatum), mint (Mentha piperita) and curry (Murraya koeingii) leaves, 2-3 cup amount and salt according to taste.

Meshed umre fruits paste for making kachuri

Method:

For preparing kachuri prepare dough of wheat, flour along with yeast. Allow it to rest  for 3-4 hour. Boil boil till these are soft and mesh manually. Add spices listed above and mix well to make a fine paste. Roll dough already made into small disc or round breadspread and stuff it with paste. Give a deep fry to the stuffed disc in hot mustered oil and take them out. Repeat this for whole dough and paste, now kachuri is ready to serve. Serve hot with chutney/rayata/pickle/ desi ghee.

Umre Kachuri ready to

Preparing Pickle:

Pickle is also prepared from unripe fruits. For preparing pickle, chopped raw fruits are boiled and dried in sun. Dried fruits are then sauted in hot mustered oil with spices like fenugreek seed powder, turmeric powder, red chillies powder and salt acc.to taste. One to three table spoon mustard seeds or one cup amount citrus juice is then added to make pickle sour. Pickle is ready to eat after 25-30 days.

Chopped Umre fruits for pickle preparation

Umre pickle ready to serve

Spiritual Uses:

Umre is considered a sacred plant and its leaves and week branches are used in various sacred rites. Leaves are used to decorate “Ved” in marriage ceremony and worshipped along with leaves of Mango (Magnifier indica), Peepal (Ficus religiose), Bad (Ficus bengalensis)), Plakhre (Ficus lacor). Young branches are used in “Havana”. Whole plant is supposed to keep evil spirit away, so many people cultivate this plant near to their home.

A priest using Umre leaves during worship.

Seek advice from a professional before using this plant medicinally.

Medicinal Uses:

 All the parts of Umre have medicinal value. It is basically used for its antidiuretic effect. The roots are popularly used for the treatment of hydrophobia, whereas, the bark has multiple actions. It is used as a galactagogue and is helpful in gynaecological disorders (Shiksharthi & Mittal, 2010)

 The fruits are active against leprosy, menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, and blood disorders, burns, intestinal worms, dry cough, and urinary tract infections. Bronchitis, bowel syndrome, and piles are treated with its leaves, in the Unani System of Medicine. The leaf buds are effective against skin infection, and a decoction of the leaves is used in wound washing and healing. A decoction of the bark is given for the treatment of piles, ulcerative colitis, diarrhoea, and dysentery. It is also given in the treatment of diabetes and asthma. The latex is externally applied on wounds to decrease inflammation, pain, and promote its healing. It is used with sugar to reduce diarrhoea and dysentery, especially in children, and improves the sexual power in males.  The roots of the plant are used in dysentery, pectoral complications, and diabetes, and also applied in inflammatory glandular enlargement, mumps and hydrophobia (Joseph & Raj, 2011).

Other Uses:

Leaves and tender branches of Umre are lopped for fodder. The leaves also provide a valuable mulch.  Branches left after cattle feeding are dried and used as fuel. Wood of Umre is not durable, so beside fuel it is also used for preparing low-quality household items such as minor construction, cheap furniture, packing cases, mouldings, laundry tubs, fruit crates etc. Wood of Umre lasts well under water, hence used for well frames.

             Whole plant is useful for slope, gully and river bank stabilization because it produces a deep and wide-spreading root system. Plant is also used as a rootstock for the common fig, Ficus carica. Umre plant latex is used in the oreparation of water-resistant paper and  also as plasticizer for Hevea rubber.

Umre as a source of income:

  Umre is also a good source of earning for poor people, specially women. Raw fruits are pickled and women sale it through the SHG fair. They  can easily earn Rs 100 to 150 per 1/2kg of Umre pickle. 

A women of Self Help Group selling Umre pickle.

References:

Joseph B, Raj SJ. Phytopharmacological and phytochemical properties of three fi cus species-an overview. Int J Pharma Bio Sci 2010;1:246-53. 

Shiksharthi AR, Mittal S. Ficus racemosa: Phytochemistry, traditional uses, and pharmacological properties: A review. Int J Adv Pharm Res 2011;4:6-15.  

230 thoughts on “Ficus racemosa L.- Umre (ऊमरे)

  1. Hi, i think that i noticed you visited my site so i came to return the favor?.I am attempting to in finding issues to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!|

  2. “Having read this I thought it was very enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!”

  3. I do not know if it’s just me or if everybody else encountering issues with your website. It appears as if some of the written text in your posts are running off the screen. Can someone else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them as well? This may be a issue with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen previously. Thanks|

  4. Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea|

  5. Having read this I thought it was very enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!|

  6. Excellent blog you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any message boards that cover the same topics talked about here? I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get opinions from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Thanks a lot!|

  7. Hello, i think that i noticed you visited my web site thus i got here to go back the favor?.I’m trying to in finding things to improve my site!I assume its good enough to make use of some of your ideas!!|

  8. I’ll right away snatch your rss as I can not in finding your email subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me recognise so that I could subscribe. Thanks.|

  9. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!|

  10. This will change over time. There are certainly a lot of things to take into consideration. Using this advice has seriously increased my knowledge. I truly love your writing style and how well you express your thoughts. You really need to write a lot more new content, I am sure many people use your website to find the latest insider insights in the industry.

  11. I really feel like people should send you cash for your great content. I brought up these very topics to my mentor today and he could not argue any of these points. I’ve recently shared your website with a few of my friends and those that see it have nothing but good things to say. This will change over time. How many people do you really think might possibly believe in that typeof thing?

  12. I’ve been browsing on-line more than 3 hours nowadays, yet I never discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours. It’s beautiful worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all site owners and bloggers made good content material as you probably did, the web will probably be much more helpful than ever before.|

  13. Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It will always be exciting to read content from other writers and practice something from other web sites. |

  14. Hello there, I do believe your blog may be having browser compatibility problems. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Apart from that, fantastic blog!|

  15. Link exchange is nothing else but it is only placing the other person’s weblog link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do similar in favor of you.|

  16. Thanks for posting this great post. Do you write this type of great content on your own or are you a member of a team? I really believe this can assist with the situation. We can complete tasks very quickly that were impossible before now. Do you ever list sources for your articles? It would be great to see what inspires you. There are a few possible reasons for this happening.

  17. Pretty portion of content. I simply stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact loved account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing for your augment and even I fulfillment you get right of entry to constantly fast.|

  18. Hi there! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone 3gs!
    Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look
    forward to all your posts! Keep up the great work!

  19. Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored at work so I decided to browse your website on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, wonderful site!|

  20. This design is incredible! You certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Wonderful job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!|

  21. This is very attention-grabbing, You are a very professional blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and look forward to in search of more of your fantastic post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks|

  22. I am extremely inspired along with your writing talents as well as with the structure for your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Anyway stay up the nice quality writing, it’s uncommon to peer a great blog like this one these days..|

  23. An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you should write more about this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people don’t speak about these topics. To the next! Cheers!!|

  24. Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It’s always useful to read articles from other authors and use a little something from their websites. |

  25. This is really interesting, You are a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your great post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks!|

  26. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is valuable and all. But just imagine if you added some great images or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and videos, this website could undeniably be one of the greatest in its field. Very good blog!|

  27. Hi there! This blog post could not be written much better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I’ll send this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a great read. Thank you for sharing!

  28. Have you ever thought about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is fundamental and all. But think of if you added some great pictures or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and clips, this blog could definitely be one of the best in its field. Amazing blog!|

  29. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.|

  30. I will immediately grab your rss as I can not find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me realize in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.|

  31. Normally I don’t learn post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do so! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thank you, quite nice article.|

  32. Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can suggest? I get so much lately it’s driving me crazy so any help is very much appreciated.|

  33. Its such as you read my thoughts! You appear to know so much approximately this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something. I believe that you just could do with a few to force the message home a bit, however instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.|

  34. Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Opera. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Thanks|

  35. Thanks for every other informative web site. The place else may just I get that type of info written in such an ideal method? I’ve a challenge that I am simply now working on, and I have been at the look out for such info.|

  36. Its like you learn my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the e book in it or something. I believe that you could do with a few p.c. to power the message house a little bit, however other than that, this is great blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.|

  37. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!|

  38. Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your content seem to be running off the screen in Ie. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem resolved soon. Kudos|

  39. It’s funny I believed I was a pro before seeing your work but it turns out I am a dum dum. You appear to know a lot about this. Your website is loved by this guy I recently met. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something.

  40. Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored at work so I decided to browse your blog on my iphone during lunch break. I really like the information you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m amazed at how quick your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, great blog!|

  41. Having read this I believed it was extremely informative. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!|

  42. Hello there! I just would like to give you a big thumbs up for the excellent information you have got right here on this post. I am returning to your web site for more soon.|

  43. I have been browsing online more than three hours as of late, yet I by no means discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all site owners and bloggers made just right content as you probably did, the internet will probably be a lot more helpful than ever before.|

  44. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m going to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!|

  45. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly return.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *