Nymphaeaceae · Euryale

Makhana / Fox-Nut

Euryale ferox

Also known as Gorgon Fruit

Herb
Habit
Herb
Found in India
Assam, Tripura, Bihar & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Euryale ferox
Genus
Euryale
Habit
Herb
Habitat
Aquatic
Habitat type
Wetland
Distribution
India, Southeast Asia, China
Found in India
Assam, Tripura, Bihar, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Toothed margin leaf character
Margin
Toothed
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Typical of the Nymphaeaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
PurplerecordedPurple or violet
Fruit type
CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.The fruit is a spiny capsule 5–10 cm diameter, containing numerous spongy-textured seeds. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Characters marked “recorded” are for Makhana itself; the rest are typical of the Nymphaeaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
मखाना Makhana,मखाना makhana, makhana
Nepali
मखाना Makhaanaa
Bengali
মাখনা
Tamil
Karuntamarai, மல்லாநி பத்மந் Mallani-Padman, அல்லி விதைகள்
Telugu
మెల్లునిపద్మన Mellunipadmanu, పూల్ మఖానా
Kannada
ಜೇವಾರ Jewara, ನರಿಕಾಯಿ Narikaayi, ಮಖಾನಾ Makhana

About Makhana

A member of the Nymphaeaceae family, Fox-nut (Euryale ferox) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Assam, Tripura, Bihar and 3 other states. It grows in aquatic. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.

Illustration representing the Nymphaeaceae family
Botanical family

Nymphaeaceae

Water-Lily Family

Makhana belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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