Mahua or Madhuca, Madhuca longifolia

-
Mahua or Madhuca (Madhuca longifolia, family: Sapotaceae) is a medium sized to large deciduous tree with spreading and round crown. The plant is native to Indian subcontinent. In Bangladesh, it is found in the Hilly areas of Chottogram. Mahua is a slow growing species. It can attain a height of up to 20 m. The trunk is small. Bark is almost smooth, gray or brown with cracks on it. 

Common names : Mahua, Madhuca, Mahwa, Butter tree.


Young leaves are bronze-colored, mature ones are dark green. Leaves become 10-15 cm long, elliptical-oblong, tip pointed.


The species is one of the most beautiful trees in Bangladesh. For this it is generally planted in parks and gardens.


Flowers are fleshy, borne at the tip of the twigs in clusters, creamy in color. Sepals 4, petals 8-9. The fragrant flowers bloom in the spring in Bangladesh.

The fruit is a berry, 25 to 50 mm long; green when raw and yellow when ripe. Egg-shaped fruit contains 2-4 shiny seeds. Propagation of the plant is caused by sedds.


The flowers are used to make an alcoholic drink in Bangladesh and India. Different parts of the tree, especially the bark is used for medicine in its native range. Madhuca longifolia is regarded a boon to the indigenous people. 

The tribal people of the Indian sub-continent make a kind of wine from its flower. Santal tribe of both parts of Bengal regards the tree as a sacred one. 


Oil extracted from seeds, flowers and bark is used to prepare medicine. It is used to cure billous fever, physical weakness. Dried flowers are used to make sweetmeats aromatic.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 26, 2020 at 10:06 AM

    Any one can say,the location of this tree? In Dhaka

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mohammad AliMay 3, 2020 at 6:04 AM

      I snaped these pictures from Ramna park in different course of times. You can easily get one of them in front of Baily Road gate of the park.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Week Star

Makal or Mahakal, Trichosanthes tricuspidata

-
Image
Makal or Mahakal ( Trichosanthes tricuspidata , family: Cucurbitaceae) is a woody climber with tendril and branches, attaining a height of 10-12 m. The multiangular-branched plant climbs up very far by holding any tree in the forest. It is found in the hilly areas as well as plain forests and village thickets in Bangladesh. It is also found in Indian subcontinent, Australia and some countries of South and Southeast Asia.  According to ancient Sanskrit scriptures the other names of the plant are Bishala, Mohendro-baruni.  In the Himalayas it has been seen at an altitude of 5000 feet. There are many refferences to the fruit in Bangla and Sanskrit literature. Someone is very nice to look at but he/she is useless--writers usually jokingly give examples of this fruit. Its roots and attractive fruits are packed with medicinal properties.  The size and shape of leaves may vary. These are multilobed or trilobed, alternate, rough in both sides, 5-12 cm long, petioled, cor
Read more

Shachi or Sessile joyweed, Alternanthera sessilis

-
Image
Shachi or Sessile joyweed ( Alternanthera sessilis , family: Amaranthaceae) is a creeping sub-aquatic herb with many branches, attaining a height of 10-35 cm. The branches are formed in pairs from the nodes of the stems. Sometimes it lies on the ground by forming roots from the stem axil.  Other names:  Chanchi, Phul heicha, Haiccha, Shati shak.  Stem is glabrous and usally green but sometimes reddish. Young shoots are minutely hairy. The plant grows near water bodies, in fallow lands, on roadside, even on old wall. It is found everwhere in Bangladesh. It is also found in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Leaves are green, sessile, elliptic-oblanceolate, opposite, 5-6 cm long and 2.5-3.5 cm wide, undulated and dented irregularly, tip rounded.  The inflorescence, round in shape and white in color arises from the leaf axil. These are much like Maloncho (Alligator weed) . Florets are sessile, petals 5. It blooms almost round the year. F
Read more

Tomal or Mountain persimmon, Diospyros cordifolia

-
Image
Tomal  or  Mountain persimmon  ( Diospyros cordifolia,  family: Ebenaceae) is a deciduous small to medium-sized tree with spreading branches and blackish bark, sometimes thorny. This beautiful tree is native to Malaysia, Myanmar, Australia and is introduced to Bangladesh and other subcontinent countries. Not yellow, but black is the ripe fruit! Leaves are simple green, glabrous, petioled, alternate, lanceolate-cordate 5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm wide.  Flowers are small, whitish, with 4 petals. January-February is the flowering time. Male and female flowers usually grow singly from leaf axil while the male ones bloom in cluster on cyme inflorescence.  Poisonous fruit is berry, round,  fleshy  2.5 cm across. Half-matured fruits are ye llow and they turn purplish black when fully ripe. Propagation of the plant is caused by seeds. As a medicinal plant diospyros cordifolia is used in the treatment of fever, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Stout thorns
Read more