Biul (Grewia oppositifolia) a moderate sized deciduous tree found scattered in hill ranges of northern India upto an altitude of 7000 feet.
The bark is whitish and the wood is elastic and tough. The bark yields a jute like fibre. The wood releases an unpleasant odour when first cut and is hence rarely used for fuel.
The fruit is pea-sized, edible and seedy. It is eaten by humans and langurs alike and has a pleasant (mildly sharp) taste.
The leaves and young twigs are lopped for fodder for the cattle in winters when fodder becomes scarce. The leaves are ovate, serrated and rough. The flowers are white/ pale-yellow and appear in leaf-opposed, umbellate cymes. The tree can be propogated through seeds and shoots.
