Screening of natural diversity in Karvanda (Carissa L): Commercially potential wild fruit in Maharashtra

Carissa L. is a wild fruit yielding species of much socio-economic value in tribal areas of Maharashtra. Being cross-pollinated in nature, it forms a good source of plant genetic variability and provides useful material for economic exploitation. The present study records range of natural variability in Karvanda (Carissa L.) through extensive field surveys in different agro-climatic zones of western Maharashtra. A wide spectrum of variability was observed with respect to number of fruits per cluster (3–17), size (9 X 9 to 44–43 mm), shape (round to oblong), colour (red to black exceptionally yellowish-green when ripe), taste (sour to sweet and bitter), pulp colour (white to red), number of seeds per fruit (1–4), TDS contents (10–32%), and weight of 10 seeds (0.19 to 0.71 g). The collected accessions were classified into 16 types based on fruit morphology.