ABSTRACT

This chapter provides information on uses, folk medicine, chemistry, germplasm, distribution, ecology, cultivation, harvesting, yields, energy, and biotic factors of Indian Almond, myrobalan, badam, almendro, bengal Almond, kotamba, and tropical Almond. Indian almond is widely planted in the tropics and subtropics for ornamental, shade, timber purposes, and for the edible nuts. Reported from the Indochina-Indonesia Center of Diversity, Indian almond, or cvs thereof, is reported to tolerate full sunlight, high pH, laterite, lime, low pH, mine-spoil, poor soil, salt spray, sand, shade, slope, waterlogging, and wind. Ranging from Subtropical Dry to Moist through Tropical Very Dry to Wet Forest Life Zones, Indian almond is reported to tolerate annual precipitation of 4.8 to 42.9 dm, annual temperature of 20.4 to 29.9, and pH of 4.5 to 8.78. Indian almond thrives in coastal forests in most tropical areas, from sea level to 1,000 m altitude, preferring coastal soils or light loamy soils.