NONI PLANT CHARECTERISTICS
A plant with various medicinal values, Noni plant’s scientific name is Morinda citrifolia. It is also know by the names nono, nonu and popularly as Indian mulberry. Noni is an evergreen shrub or a tree which usually reaches a height of about three to six meters. The plant is recognized by its foul smelling fruit with green skin. The leaves are elliptical. The flower is white in color.
The fruits are usually oval in shape and yellow in colour. Not only foul to smell, but the fruits are unpleasant to taste also. But they have lot of hidden elements inside which helps human beings to get rid of diseases. It reaches maturity in about 18 months. The yield differs from season to season, place to place and plant to plant. Generally it is 4-8kilo grams per month. It is drought resistant and stress tolerant plant.
The noni tree has a thick bark which can be scraped and used to make dye. The fruit contains many seeds and hence reproduction is not an issue. The bad odour of the fruit drives away many pests but it is attractive for the weaver ants. The nests of weaver plants using the leaves of the plant are common in the noni plant. The smell of the fruit also attracts fruit bats. This helps in dispersing the seeds to the surroundings and thereby aids in reproduction.
All the parts of the noni plants, stems, leaves and also the roots are used in medicines. The foul smelling fruits also have great importance in medicine. The major nutrient obtained from the plant are Macro nutrients like carbohydrates and certain proteins, Micro nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Sodium, Iron, etc.
