Morphological information

A small tree or more frequently a shrub, up to 6 m high and 15 cm diameter. Bark dark grey and rough. Blaze 7.5-13 mm shortly fibrous, pale yellow finely mottled with pale orange brown. Leaves 9-18 by 3.2-5 cm, elliptic oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute obtusely-acuminate or obtuse, serrulate obscurely crenate or rarely entire, base acute, cuneate, coricaeous, glabrous above pubescent beneath when young but ultimately glabrous or with scattered spreading hairs mainly on the midrib, glossy on both surfaces, dark green above; lateral nerves indistinct 5-9 pairs. Petiole 7.5-18 mm long. Flowers 1-1.3 cm diameter, white fading yellow in simple axillary pubescent racemes 1.3-9 cm long. Bracts ovate, tomentose. Calyx glabrous. Pedicels 1.3-5 mm long.Drupe 1-1.3 an long, oblong, glabrous, purplish black.

Flowering                 : October-December

Fruiting                    : January-May

History                    :

Parts                       : Bark and wood.

Status                     : Low risk

Phytochemistry      : Betulinic, acetyloleanolic, oleanolic and ellagic acids isolated.

 

Ayurvedic

The bark is acrid; cooling, digestible astringent to the bowels, alexiteric, useful in eye diseases, for spongy gums and bleeding; cures "Kapha"I biliousness, diseases of the blood, dysentery, inflammations, vaginal discharges, leprosy; useful in abortions and miscarriages; good for ulcers in the vagina. The flowers are pungent, acrid, sweet, bitter, cooling, astringent to bowels.

Unani

The bark is bitter, acrid, aphrodisiac, emmenagogue tonic for persons of plethoric constitution; cures watery eyes, opthalmia good for all diseases of the eve.

Traditional

The decoction of the bark or wood is normally used as a gargle for spongy and bleeding gums and in relaxed uvula.

The wood paste externally applied to boils, promotes suppuration and discharge of pus.