Pomegranate, Fruit
Pomegranate or Punica granatum (syn. Punica malus) is a species of fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree in family Lythraceae. Pomegranate is native to region of Persia and the western Himalayan range. It is cultivated for its fruit and showy flowers in much of the Mediterranean region and tropical America. It is widely cultivated in India, South East Asia, the East Indies and tropical Africa. Pomegranate is now cultivated in parts of California and Arizona for juice production. Pomegranate is a multi-stemmed rounded shrub or small tree, growing up to 5-8 m tall. It is usually deciduous, but in certain area the leaves persist on tree. The bark is red brown later becomes gray. the branches are stiff, angular and often spiny. The leaves are opposite, glossy and leathery, narrow or lance-shaped, entire, 3–7 cm long and 2 cm broad. The flowers are orange-red, trumpet-shaped, 4-5 petals, and about 5 cm long. Pomegranate fruit is a berry, 5-12 cm in diameter with a rounded hexagonal shape. It has thick, shiny, reddish skin when mature, and contains about 600 seeds. Each seed is encased in a juicy, somewhat acidic pulp called aril, which is white to deep red or purple in color. Pomegranate is used mainly for its juice, and also for culinary and medical purposes. The pomegranate juice can be very sweet or sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste. The juice is a popular drink in Persian and Indian cuisine, and has since gain its popularity in the United States and Canada. Pomegranate juice is high in vitamin C, vitamin B5, potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins and flavonoids.  A pomegranate tree loaded with fruits, an orchard in Sde Ya'akov, Israel. Author: Amnon s (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic) | ||
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