Morphological information

A moderate sized or large decidous tree attaining 25-30 m in height. Leaf buds, branchlets and youngest leaves with soft shining, generally rust colored hairs. Leaves 7-20 an by 4-8 cm, glabrous or nearly so when mature, not clustered, distant, alternate or sub opposite, elliptic- oblong, acute, rounded or cordate at base penninerved, secondary nerves 6-8 pairs, arching, prominent; petioles 2-5 an long, pubescent, usually with 2 glands near the top. Flower's all hermaphrodite, 4 mm across, sessile dull-white or yellow with an offensive smell. Spikes sometimes simple, usually in short panicles. Terminal and in the axils of the uppermost leaves; bracts exceeding the flowers, subulate or lanceolate, hairy, conspicuous among the buds but soon decidous. Calyx campanulate, 3 mm long flat at the base expanding a little towards the mouth, glabrous outside, hairy within; teeth 5, short, sometimes obscure. Drupe pendulous, 2-4 cm long ellipsoid or obovoid from a broad base, glabrous,more or less 5-ribbed when dry yellowish green; stone oblong bony, very thick, obscurely angled. Bark 6mm thick, dark brown with many generally shallow vertical cracks. Wood very hard, brownish  grey with a greenish or yellowish tinge, with irregular small dark purple heartwood, close-grained.

Flowering                      : April-June

Fruiting                         : December-February

History                          :

Parts                              : Fruits, bark.

Status                           : Vulnerable.

Phytochemistry            : Gallic acid (1.21%) from fruits.

 

Ayurvedic

 There are seven varieties. Among these, second, third and six kinds are used in ayurvedic system of medicine namely: "Halileh-i-Javi", "Halileh-i-Zangi" and "'Halileh-i-Kabul". They are used in asthma, sore throat, thirst, vomiting, hiccough, eye diseases, diseases of the heart and the bladder, strangury, vesicular calculi, urinary discharges, ascites, biliousness, inflammations, tumours, bleeding piles, typhoid fever, leucoderma, dysponea, itching pain, constipation, anaemia, gout, elephantiasis, delirium.

Unani

 The ripe fruits are used in dysentery and diarrhoea. The ripe fruit is good in ophthalmia, diseases of the spleen, piles, cold in the head; strengthens the brain, the eye, the gums; used in paralysis.

Traditional

The finely powdered fruit is used as dentifrice. Water in which the fruits have seen steeped overnight is a good cooling wash for eyes, affording relief in conjunctivitis and similar affections of the eyes. A fruit, coarsely powdered and smoked in a pipe, affords relief in a fit of asthma. A fine paste obtained by rubbing the fruit on a rough stone with little water, mixed with the carron oil and are applied to burns and scalds, effects a more rapid cure than when carron oil alone is used. The bark is endowed with both diuretic and known to have cardio tonic properties.