Abstract
Indian hawthorn (Pyracantha crenulata (D. Don) M. Roem. Syn., Crataegus crenulata Roxb. Fam. Rosaceae) is endemic to the Himalayan hills. In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand (India), it is known locally by the name “Ghingharu”. Pyracantha is a bushy and profusely branched very thorny shrub, with dark green leaves, that grows wild in barren, rocky, and dry grasslands. It is generally 2.4–3.0 m in height and the plant is laden with orange-red to dark red fruits during fruiting season (Fig. 1). In the Himalayan hills of Uttarakhand, it grows in areas from 900 m to 2500 m above mean sea level in Pine and Quercus forests (Osmastan 1926). The stem bark is dark brown and becomes glabrous when old. The white inflorescence is a compound corymb having many flowers. Flowering takes place in April to May and the fruits ripen in June to September. Pyracantha flowers are hermaphrodite (bisexual) having 20 stamens and one ovary. This perennial, deciduous, and thorny shrub is commonly known as Indian hawthorn or Ghingharu.
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Singh, R., Negi, P.S., Dwivedi, S.K. (2018). Indian Hawthorn (Pyracantha crenulata). In: Singh, B., Peter, K. (eds) New Age Herbals. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8291-7_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8291-7_7
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