Mountain pomegranate (Catunaregam spinosa)

Catunaregam spinosa, mainphal or madanaphala, is a stiff, spiny shrub of dry scrub forest with fragrant white flowers and hard, round yellow fruit. In Ayurveda the fruit is the classic emetic, used to induce vomiting in the cleansing procedure called vamana. That use only makes sense under trained supervision, and the fruit is not a food.

Botanical name: Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb.) Tirveng.
Family: Rubiaceae
Tamil: Marukkarai
Hindi: Mainphal
Parts used: Fruit (historical list; not a kitchen fruit first)
Habit: Spiny Rubiaceae; gardenia is a shop word
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Mountain pomegranate

It is a rigid shrub or small tree with straight, paired spines on the branches and small, oval leaves clustered on short side shoots.

Flowers are white, fragrant and solitary, turning yellow as they age.

The fruit is round, about the size of a small lime, yellowish when ripe, with a crown of persistent calyx at the top that gives it a passing likeness to a pomegranate. That likeness is the origin of the English name mountain pomegranate.

Swamp jasmine, Tamilnadia uliginosa, is a close relative of wetter ground with larger flowers and fruit.

Traditional use of Mountain pomegranate

Ayurveda

Madanaphala is the principal emetic of classical Ayurveda, used in measured doses for therapeutic vomiting under a physician’s care.

Ayurvedic materia medica

Village use

The crushed unripe fruit has been used to stun fish and as a soap substitute, both because of its saponins.

Indian village practice

Modern notes on Mountain pomegranate

The fruit is rich in saponins, which explain both the emetic action and the fish-stunning use. Studies are mostly chemical and in animals.

Using fish poisons in rivers and ponds kills far more than the fish people intend to catch, and it is illegal in many places.

Mountain pomegranate safety

Do not use the fruit to make yourself vomit. Self-induced vomiting can cause dehydration and injury, and dosing is dangerous outside clinical care.

Ecology and sourcing

It is common in dry deciduous forest, scrub and hedges across India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

Its spines make it a useful native hedge plant, and its flowers feed bees and moths.

Related plants

Also in Rubiaceae

Questions about Mountain pomegranate

What older names does Catunaregam spinosa go by?

Randia dumetorum and Xeromphis spinosa.

Can you eat the fruit of Mountain pomegranate?

No. It is an emetic, not a food.

Why mountain pomegranate?

The fruit has a pomegranate-like crown at the tip.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.