About Fox-nut
Euryale ferox, commonly known as prickly waterlily, makhānā, or Gorgon plant, is a species of water lily found in southern and eastern Asia, and the only extant member of the genus Euryale. The edible seeds, called fox nuts or gorgon nuts, are dried and eaten predominantly in Asia. The plant is cultivated for its seeds in lowland ponds in India, China, and Japan. The Indian state of Bihar produces 90% of the world's fox nuts. The Chinese have cultivated the plant for centuries. In India, more than 96,000 hectares of Bihar were set aside for cultivation of Euryale in 1990–1991. In the northern and western parts of India, the seeds are often roasted or fried like popcorn.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Euryale ferox
- Genus
- Euryale
- Family
- NYMPHAEACEAE
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Aquatic
- Distribution
- India, Southeast Asia, China
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- मखाना Makhana, मखाना
- 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
Nymphaeaceae
Water-Lily Family
Fox-nut belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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