Punica granatum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 472 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Türkiye to W. & N. Pakistan. It is a tree and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders and circulatory system disorders, as a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for fuel and food.

Descriptions

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 1000 - 2775 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto
[CPLC]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Much-branched shrub/small tree; branches sometimes spine-tipped; glabrous throughout
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblanceolate to narrow-oblong, without gland dots
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Hypanthium
Hypanthium ± urceolate, red, leathery; lobes persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals obovate, bright red
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a globose leathery berry, 5–10 cm in diam., red to yellow suffused with red
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds very closely packed, c. 3–5 mm across with thick, juicy, translucent, often reddish outer layer.
Distribution
Cultivated at least in N3 and S2 probably native to Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. Cultivated throughout the Mediterranean areas since prehistoric times, now widely grown in temperate and subtropical areas.
Vernacular
Pomegranate (English).
[FSOM]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63531/173543609

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution
Cultivated in Colombia.
Ecology
Alt. 1000 - 2775 m.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
Morphology General Habit
Shrub.
[UPB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1000–2775 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Shrub.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Granada, Granado
[UPFC]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Note
(pomegranate; Arabic.: rumman; seeds: chab rumman)
Morphology General Habit
A small tree or shrub with glabrous opposite or fascicled leaves, oblong-lanceolate to obovate; flowers scarlet red or white, showy, 3 cm or more in length; calyx tube adnate to ovary, somewhat fleshy; fruit globose, up to 12 cm in diameter, pale red to scarlet, partitioned by thin leathery yellow septa; seeds red, pink, or white, fleshy, juicy.
Distribution
A native of Iran and NW India
[FIQ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Lythraceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Note
A native of Iran and NW. India frequently put in Punicaceae (but scarcely differing from Lythraceae in its inferior ovary, the calyx-tube adnate to the ovary which is many-loculed with the locules superposed in two series, the lower with axile, the upper with parietal placentation) is widely grown for its edible fruit.
Morphology General Habit
Large shrub or small tree, the branches sometimes spiny.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, subopposite or fascicled, oblong to lanceolate or obovate, up to 7.5 cm. long, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers orange-red or crimson, showy, ± 2.5 cm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx urceolate-funnel-shaped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit 3.5–12.5 cm. in diameter, but usually about the size of an orange.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, covered with pulp.
[FTEA]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
granada, granado
[UNAL]

Uses

Use
Used medicinally. The plant is very rich in tannins and is used for treating leather Edible fruits Grown for the attractive flowers
[FSOM]

Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Medicines Circulatory System Disorders
Used in the treatment of hemorrhoids (Toscano-González 2006).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Use
It is cultivated in the central and lower regions of Iraq for its fruit and is also highly regarded for its medicinal properties.
[FIQ]

Common Names

English
Pomegranate
Spanish
Granado, granada.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images
  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/