Source

Dried flower buds of

Eugenia
caryophyllus
Myrtaceae
Cultivation – Requirements
• Deep rich loamy soils with humid
climate is required
• Grow well in the vicinity of sea
• Plant grows to a ht of 9mt but they
were usually topped at 3mt for easy
collection
• They were also grown along with
areca nut , coconut & nutmeg plants
• Plants were provided with suitable
fertilizers like super phosphate ,
 Cultivation
• Raised from seeds ,spaced at intervals of
25cm apart
• Protected from Sun by placing frames
erected about 1mt above ground level &
covered with banana leaves .As the leaves
decay more Sun light is allowed
• When about 9months old seedlings are
able to bear full sunshine
• When 1mt ht they are planted in the
beginning of rainy season 6mt apart
• For the 1st three years they were shaded
by growing banana trees among them
• They begin to bear at 6th year & yield 3-4
kilos / tree untill 70yrs
 Collection
• Compound raceme inflorescence with
opposite & decussate branches
• Collected twice one in Aug & other in
Dec
• Young flowers are white & become
green – crimson Collection starts
when lower part turns from green to
crimson & before the corolla expands
• Collected by hand or by beating with
bamboos or reached from moving
 Drying
• Dried in open by spreading on mats of
coconut leaves for 3 days or on concrete
floors called Barbecues ,during nights
they are taken under shade
• During drying they loose 60% of their wt
& become deep reddish brown
• Dried ones packed in sacks made of
coconut leaves
• Separated peduncles are known as clove
stalks
• If left too long on tree bud opens & petals
fall leaving Blown cloves
 Description

• Stalk is called hypanthium

surmounted by 4 spreading acute
sepals dome shaped corolla with 4
bowl shaped petals &
numerous incurved sepals
large erect cylindrical style at the
base of which is a nectar disc
• In the upper part of hypanthium
bilocular ovary with ovules on axile
placentation
• Numerous oil glands are present on
 Description

• Bright reddish brown colour

• Strong spicy odour
• Taste is Pungent , aromatic &
followed by numbness
• Oil exudes when pressed by nail
 Microscopy
• Epidermis tubular cells
with cuticle & stomata
• Cortex
oil gland layer schizogenous oil gland ,
lined with 2-3 layers
flattened cells
Vascular bundle bicollateral
in parenchyma cells
also contain calcium oxalate cluster
crystals
• Aerenchyma air filled spaces
• Columella parenchymatous
 Microscopy

• Clove tissues do not contain

sclereids and calcium oxalate ,
prisms
• But clove stalks contain lignified
sclereids , reticulately thickened
xylem vessels
• Clove fruits contain starch
 Constituents

• Volatile oil 14 – 21%

• Tannin 10 – 13
%(gallatannic acid)
• Caryophyllin
• Glycoside of eugenol , isoeugenol ,
farnesol etc
 Uses
• Aromatic
stimulant
• Spice
• Antispasmodic
• Carminative
 Tests

• 50% caustic potash forms needle

shaped crystals of pot.eugenate
• Bluish black coloration with FeCl3
due to tannin