Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit crop that believed come from and Persia or Iran now origin. However, has been known since a long time in the Mediterranean.  Now well known and popular in South China and Southeast Asia.

Description of tree:

This tree is in the category of high herbaceous plant with between 2-8 m, woody, round, branched, spiny; tree bark turns dark brown after a brownish green. This leaves a single, lanceolate, flat edge, pointed, 1-8 cm long, and 5-15m width, surface shiny and green. Single flower, growing on the ends of branches, short flower stalks, petals attaches, red or pale yellow. Crown rounded, curved flower stalk, yellow, white pistil, red or yellow.

The pomegranate can be grown in lowland tropics and sub-tropics to a height of 1500 m above sea level,  better in the clay and the long dry season and summer. Currently in Southeast Asia in particular has become a garden or yard plants. Pomegranate plants rooted riding, yellow to brownish, tuberous root with yellow to brownish color.

Fruit:

The fruit is bunni, rounded, 5-12 cm diameter, and yellowish green, dark red, reddish yellow to reddish
green. Rounded shape of pomegranates and sometimes round. Typically, pomegranates hanging in bunch, while still young, green fruit is green to reddish. After dark, the color changes, depending type. Seeds are rounding, hard, small, red. Pomegranate is known in the three types: red pomegranate, white pomegranate, and purple pomegranate, physically almost the same color just different pieces inside.

If mature trees, pomegranates will divide it and will issue his seeds as seedlings, the form of and content, the pomegranate has its own appeal that is often used as a decoration piece on the dining table. Pomegranate flavor is sweet fresh, and now consumed as a source of nutrients and anti-oxidants.

Nutrient content per 100 g (3.5 oz):

Energy 346 kJ (83 kcal), Carbohydrates 18.7 g, Sugars 13.67 g,Dietary fiber 4 g, Fat 1.17 g, Protein 1.67 g, Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.067 mg (6%),  Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.053 mg (4%),  Niacin (vit. B3) 0.293 mg (2%), Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.377 mg (8%),  Vitamin B6 0.075 mg (6%),  Folate (vit. B9) 38 μg (10%),  Choline 7.6 mg (2%), Vitamin C 10.2 mg (12%), Vitamin E 0.6 mg (4%), Vitamin K 16.4 μg (16%), Calcium 10 mg (1%), Iron 0.3 mg (2%), Magnesium 12 mg (3%), Manganese 0.119 mg (6%), Phosphorus 36 mg (5%), Potassium 236 mg (5%), Sodium 3 mg (0%), Zinc 0.35 mg (4%).

Source:  USDA Database entry.

Economic potential:

The fruit is popular in the Middle East and Persian, as well as Central and South Asia. However, despite good growth in Southeast Asia this fruit has never been a favorite fruit of people in the region.

The fruit is usually eaten directly or made juice syrup too. It is unclear how many of the fruit's global product. Although this is a tropical plant, more fruit used as ornamental garden plants and ornamental pieces, and yet be favorite fruit in tropical areas. 

Interesting records of this fruit is that fruit is widely referred to in the literature started as religious: Hindu, Jewish, Christian,  Islamic and other old literature. Some of them review about benefit of this fruit for health and disease healing.

Scientific classification

Kingdom  : Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Rosids

Order      : Myrtales

Family      : Lythraceae

Genus      : Punica

Species     P. granatum

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