Common Names: Indian Butter Tree, ,Irippa, Njannal
Flowering Period: December-July
Description
It is large and deciduous with a thick, grey bark, vertically cracked and wrinkled.
It is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage.
The leaves are alternate and clustered at the end of branchlets. The leaf blade is simple, 10-25 cm long x 6-12 cm broad, oblong-shaped, rigid, thick and firm, woolly at the lower face and exuding a milky sap when broken.
uses:
The oil obtained from the seeds is used for making soap products and seed cakes are used as fertilizer. Mahua flowers are used to brew alcohol and the whole tree is considered to possess medicinal properties.
Medicinally the tree is very valuable. The bark is used to cure leprosy and to heal wounds, the flowers are prepared to relieve coughs, biliousness and heart-trouble while the fruit is given in cases of consumption and blood diseases.