Stats

Lifespan: Up to 25 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: South Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

The curry leaf tree is native to tropical and subtropical Asia and is prized for its aromatic leaves, which release a distinctive fragrance when bruised and are a cornerstone ingredient in South and Southeast Asian cooking. Despite their name, curry leaves belong to the citrus family and contain carbazole alkaloids found nowhere else in the plant kingdom.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Bergera
Species: Bergera koenigii