Curry Patta
Curry Leaves
Local name: ‘Curry Patta’
Scientific name: Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng
Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1981)
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Family | Rutaceae |
| Genus | Murraya |
| Species | M. koenigii
|
Botanical Description of Curry Leaves
Habit: Perennial small tree, growing 4–6 m.
Root: Tap root system
Stem: Around 13–20 feet tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) diameter.
Leaf: The aromatic leaves are pinnate, with 11–21 leaflets, each leaflet 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57 in) long and 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) broad.
Flower: The plant produces small white flowers which can self-pollinate.
Fruit: Small shiny-black berries containing a single, large viable seed.
Economic Importance
- Widely used as spices where the leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cuisine, and Sri Lankan cuisine especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation.
- Also used as medicine