Azadirachta indica

 Botanical Name: Azadirachta indica A.Juss.


Family: Meliaceae

Common Name: Neem tree, Indian lilac

English Name: Neem, Nimbay, margosa tree

Description: It is a fast-growing and long-lived evergreen tree with a wide-spreading, dense, ovoid crown; it can grow about 15 metres tall with occasional specimens up to 25 metres. It has a short, straight bole that can be 100cm in diameter, and long, spreading branches that form a dense, large, oval or rounded crown. Leaves imparipinnate, alternate, estipulate. rachis 14-30 cm long slender .swollen at base glabrous,leaflets 7-15, opposite or subopposite  estipellate, petiolule 3 -5 mmiong. Slender glabrous lamina 4.5-7.5 x1.5-2.5 cm ianceolate. Or falcate base oblique apex acuminate margin serrate glabrous, coriaceous lateral nerves 10-8 pairs pinnate,slender prominent intercostae reticulate, faint flowers bisexual 8 mm aeross.white in axillary panicles bracteoies scaly pedicel 5mm sepals 5 connate at base ovate margin ciliate petals 5 free white oblong obovate pubescent ,spreading imbricate stamina tude 4 mm long glabrous apically 10.lobed iobes truncate anther 10 slightly exserted apiculate opposite to lobes sessile ovary superior globose 3celled ovules 2 per cell style slender elongate stigma terete 3- lobed fruit a drupe 1.5 x 0.5 cm oblong greenish- yellow seed one surrounded by a sweet pulp.

Flowering & Fruiting: February-September

Distribution: E. Asia - India, Bagladesh, Myanmar. Indo-malesia

IUCN: Stable: Least Concern Azadirachta indica (Neem) (iucnredlist.org)

District: All Districts of Tamil Nadu

Uses: Neem is considered to be a pharmacy in its own right in India, where every part of the plant is used medicinally. It contains a number of medically active substances including meliacins, triterpenoid bitters, tannins and flavonoids. It is one of the most important detoxicants in Ayurvedic medicine and a potent febrifuge. The fruits are eaten fresh or cooked, or prepared as a dessert or lemonade-type drink. Young leaves and flowers - cooked. A very bitter flavour, they are often eaten as a pre-meal appetizer. Sap obtained from the branches and roots is fermented and drunk. Being drought resistant with a well-developed root system capable of extracting nutrient from the lower soil levels, it is a suitable tree for dune-fixation

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lannea coromandelica

Image
  Botanical Name :  Lannea coromandelica  (Houtt.) Merr., Family : Anacardiaceae Common Name : Indian Ash. Tree moya English Name : wodier, jhingam Description : It is a deciduous tree usually growing 5 - 10 metres tall but with some specimens up to 20 metres tall with a bole 45cm in diameter. Deciduous trees to 25m high bark surface grey to dark brown rough exfoliating in small irregular flakes fibous blare crimson red or deep pink exudation gummy red young parts stellate-rusty tomentose leaves imparipinnate alternate clustered at the end of brabchlets estipulate rachis 21-27cm stout swollen at base stellate-hairy pubescent when young leaflets 7-11 opposite petiolule 3.5mm slender pubescent laming 5-12x3-8cm oblong oblong-ovate, oblong-lanceolate or ovate base oblique acute or round apex acuminate margin entire lower surface and part of the upper with scattered stellate pubescence chartaceous lateral nerves 10-16 pairs, parcallel prominent puberulent benceath i...
Read more

Areca catechu

Image
Botanical Name: Areca catechu L. Family: Arecaceae Common Name: Betel Palm, Pakku English Name: Areca palm, pinang Description: It is an evergreen single-stemmed palm tree that can grow up to 30 metres tall but is more commonly around 15 metres. Arecanut is an erect, unbranched palm reaching heights of 12-30 m, depending upon the environmental conditions. The stem, marked with scars of fallen leaves in a regular annulated form, becomes visible only when the palm is about 3 years old. Girth depends on genetic variation and soil conditions. Root system adventitious, typical of monocots. The adult palm has 7-12 open leaves, each with a sheath, a rachis and leaflets. The leaf stalk extends as the midrib until the end of the leaf and ends as leaflets. Male flowers very numerous, sessile, without bracts; calyx 1-leaved, small, 3-cornered, 3-parted; petals 3, oblong, rigid striated; stamens 6, anthers sagittate. Female flowers solitary or 2 or 3 at or near the base of each ramificatio...
Read more

Saraca asoca

Image
  Botanical Name:  Saraca asoca (Roxb.) W.J.de Wilde Family: Fabaceae Common Name: Ashokam, Vanjuulam English Name: Ashok tree Description : A middle sized handsome tree. Leaves paripinnate, glabrous, leaflets 4-5 pairs, 10- 20 cm long, margin slightly wavy. Flowers are fragrant, orange scarlet in terminal or axillary racemes. Pods are 5 - 10 inch compresed, tapering at the both ends. Very beautiful tree when flowers. The purplish pink new leaves appear at the intervals. Leaves  paripinnate, alternate; leaflets 6-12, opposite, 7-28.5x 2-8.5 cm, narrowly  oblong, oblong-ovate or ovate- lanceolate, round, cuneate or acute, apex acute or acuminate, base obtuse, margin entire, glabrous, coriaceous; stipules 7-20 mm long, intra petiolar, scarious, ovate, connate;rachis 4-25 cm long, slender,, pulvinate, glabrous; petiolule 2-10 mm long, stout, glabrous; lateral nerves 10-15 pairs, pinnate, arched towards the margin, slender, faint, intercostae reticulate,faint. Flo...
Read more