Butea monosperma (beat.) Taubert, commonly known as the fire
of the Forest, Palash, or Moduga, is a medium-measured deciduous sapling
belonging to the Leguminosae household. This noticeable sapling is famous for
its vibrant, blazing orange-crimson flowers that bloom in late cold season and
soon spring, transforming landscapes into a blaze of color. Beyond its
ornamental appeal, Butea monosperma holds significant cultural, customary, and
medicinal significance, particularly in the South Asian subcontinent. It
possesses been documented in old texts like the Atharva Veda, Charaka Samhita,
and Sushruta Samhita, highlighting its lengthy-standing acknowledgment for
diverse therapeutic properties. Its varied applications scope from customary
folk cures to modern medicinal preparations.
Names in Different Countries
Butea monosperma is known by dint of a crowd of names over
diverse regions and languages, reflecting its common attendance and cultural
significance. Some of its common names contain:
English: fire of the Forest, Bastard Teak
Assamese: Bipornok, Kingxuk, Polax
Bengali: Palash
Gujarati: Kesudo, Khakhro, Palash
Hindi: Dhak, Palash, Tesu
Kannada: Muttuga, Palasha, Vaatapotha Mara
Kashmiri: Palash
Konkani: Palas
Malayalam: Chamata, Kinsukam, Plaas
Manipuri: Pangong
Marathi: Dhak, Palas
Nepali: Palans
Oriya: Palasha
Pali: Kimshuka, Palasha
Punjabi: Dhak, Palas
ancient Indian language: Kimshuka, Palasha
Tamil: Kincukam, Palasam
Telugu: Kimsukamu, Palasamu, Moduga
Tibetan: Rgya Skyegs wrongdoing, Tshos-crime
Urdu: Dhak
Where It Grows
Butea monosperma is indigenous to tropical and warm regions
of the South Asian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is broadly shared over
subcontinent, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia. This sapling thrives in a
diversity of habitats, comprising dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and
unlocked scrublands. It is frequently found growing in plains and reduce uneven
regions, adapting good to varied dirt types, though it prefers good-drained,
sandy loam soils. It is as well cultivated in gardens and along roadsides for
its ornamental worth.
external Appearance
Butea monosperma is a medium-measured deciduous sapling that
typically grows upward to 10 meters tall, though some specimens can arrive
taller heights. The bole (chest) is frequently bent and irregular. The bark is
comparatively thick, approximately 5-6 mm, and varies in color from grey to
greyish-brown. When cut, it may ooze a rosy sap or gum.
The foliage are a characteristic presence, being trifoliate
(composed of triple leaflets) and organized alternately upon the branchlets.
Young foliage are smooth pubescent upon twain sides, befitting glabrous
(smooth) over and smooth pubescent beneath as they ripe. The lateral leaflets
are broadly elongated-oval or suborbicular, gauging 8.8-13.7 cm lengthy and
5.5-11 cm broad, with an slanted base and an obtuse peak. The terminal pamphlet
is larger, broadly diamond-shaped, gauging 11-15 cm lengthy and 12.5-15 cm
broad, with an obtuse base and an emarginate (notched) peak. The foliage are
coriaceous (leathery) with important pinnate lateral nerves.
The most noticeable presence of Butea monosperma is its
flowers. These are bisexual, bright crimson, and approximately 5 cm lengthy,
appearing in dense, fascicled racemes at the ends of branches or in foliage
axils. The calyx is broadly campanulate (bell-formed) with five short, deltoid
teeth, the upper two being connate (fused) and velvety. The corolla is much
exserted (bulging). The five petals contain a abundant standard leaf, falcate
wings adnate to the keel, and a joined, bent keel. The flowers, appearing in
clusters, make a spectacular optic show, giving the sapling its common label
"fire of the Forest."
The produce is a shell, gauging 12.5-28 cm lengthy,
elongated, and flat at the base, similar to a appendage. It is indehiscent
(does not divide unlocked) except at the cant, location it splits nearby the
apical kernel. The kernel itself is obovate.
healing Properties
Butea monosperma is a very esteemed medicinal herb, with
diverse parts possessing a broad display of therapeutic properties. Its uses
are widely documented in customary systems of medicine such as Ayurveda,
Siddha, Unani, and customary folk practices.
Astringent: The bark and gum are noted for their harsh
properties, making them helpful in conditions involving immoderate secretions
or bleeding.
Anthelmintic: The kernels are particularly recognized for
their anthelmintic (deworming) activity against intestinal worms.
Anti-inflammatory: Different parts of the herb are
customarily used to reduce inflammation.
Antifungal and Antibacterial: The stalk bark exhibits
antifungal properties, whereas the foliage show antibacterial activity.
Hepatoprotective: Aqueous extracts of flowers be in
possession of demonstrated hepatoprotective (organ-defensive) activity.
Diuretic: The flowers are known to be in possession of
diuretic effects, advancing urine flow.
Aphrodisiac/Sex Stimulant: In some customary systems, the
foliage and flowers are considered gender stimulants.
Antidiabetic: Various parts, especially the kernels, are
customarily used in managing sugar sickness.
Wound Healing: The bark is applied to advance injured
recovery.
Advantages
The advantages of Butea monosperma stalk from its varied
medicinal properties and ecological benefits:
Multipurpose healing Plant: almost all atom of the sapling –
bark, foliage, flowers, kernels, and gum – possesses reported medicinal uses,
making it a precious asset in customary medicine.
Traditional drug combination: Its profound roots in
Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani systems offer a riches of acquaintance for
potential modern medicine discovery.
Ecological Benefits: As a deciduous sapling, it contributes
to dirt wellness and biodiversity. Its vibrant flowers lure pollinators.
Economic Value: Beyond medicinal uses, the sapling yields
resin (a sticky discharge) and its timber is used for diverse purposes, though
it's frequently considered "bastard teak."
decorative Value: Its attractive flowers become it a popular
choice for landscaping and beautification.
Uses
The uses of Butea monosperma are large and diverse:
Gastrointestinal Disorders: The bark and gum are used in
diarrhoea, infection, and intestinal grub infestations. on behalf of instance,
the gum is orally taken for diarrhoea.
hide Diseases: Leaves, flowers, and kernels are applied for
pimples, boils, virus, fungus, and other skin ailments. Tribes in Chandrapura,
Maharashtra, use foliage for skin diseases.
Reproductive Health:
Contraception/barrenness: Young foliage mixed with
intimidate's extract are used as a unhurried sterilizer. dusted kernels mixed
with nation alcohol are given after menstruation for contraceptive purposes in
some cultural communities like those in Mayurbhanja, Orissa. Conversely,
cultural societies of Kannanore, Kerala, hire flowers for infertility. The
Atharva Veda mentions stalk remove being beneficial for sperms and aiding
conception.
heavy bleeding and Leucorrhoea: Leaves are regarded as
helpful in menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding). A powder built from flowers
of Butea monosperma, stalk bark of Moringa oleifera, and Acacia catechu is
taken orally for leucorrhoea.
Abortion: The ash of kernels with latex of Ferula alliacea
and intimidate's extract is used for ending of pregnancy in some customary
practices. Some Bhat tribes use kernels as an abortifacient.
Urinary Complaints: Flowers and gum are used as diuretics
and for urinary issues.
Fever and provocative Conditions: Flowers and gum are used
in fevers. Leaves are used for inflammation.
Bone Fractures: The bark is customarily applied to aid in
the recovery of bone fractures.
Eye Complaints: Flowers are used in sight complaints by dint
of tribes in Ratanmahal Hills, Gujarat, and Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu.
different Uses:
Diabetes: Seeds and bark are used in the management of sugar
sickness.
hemorrhoids: The bark and gum are used for piles.
Snake Venom: Ayurvedic texts mention the bark's usefulness
against snake poison.
Tuberculosis: Roots are used by dint of Tribes of Santal
Parganas, Bihar, for TB.
Tonic: chewing gum is considered a stimulant by dint of
Tribes of Siwalik, Uttar Pradesh.
Using way
The methods of using Butea monosperma change relying upon
the atom of the herb and the ailment being treated. These generally include
customary preparations:
Decoctions: Bark or flowers are boiled in liquid to make a
decoction for internal consumption (e.g., for diarrhoea, haemorrhages,
menstrual disorders).
Powders: Dried foliage, flowers, or kernels are ground into
a beautiful powder. This powder can be mixed with liquid, extract, or other
liquids for oral intake (e.g., powdered kernels for contraception, powder for
leucorrhoea).
Pastes: new foliage or barks are squashed and built into a
paste for outer request (e.g., for pimples, boils, wounds, skin diseases, bone
fractures).
Juices/Extracts: Extracts from the stalk or juice from
flowers can be ready.
Infusions: Flowers or foliage may be steeped in heated
liquid to become an blend.
straight Application: chewing gum can be straight applied or
consumed.
It is pivotal to note that customary methods and dosages
should be followed with caution and ideally under the guidance of skilled
practitioners, especially when handling with delicate applications like
contraception or pregnancy ending, as some uses are not considered secure in
modern clinical settings (e.g., anthelmintic use of kernels in humans).
Conclusion
Butea monosperma, the fire of the Forest, is distant more
than fair a attractive flowering sapling. Its profound cultural roots, large
terminology over varied languages, and common geographical distribution
emphasize its significance. From old Vedic texts to modern ethnic practices,
its diverse parts be in possession of been utilized for a notable display of
medicinal purposes. While revered for its applications in gastrointestinal
wellness, skin ailments, and even generative issues, it is crucial to method
its customary uses with admire for twain the acquaintance systems that be in
possession of conserved them and the need for systematic confirmation in modern
medicine. The ongoing investigation into its phytochemical composition and
pharmacological activities continues to uncover the systematic basis for its
customary efficacy, hardening Butea monosperma as a crucial component of
ethnobotanical and medicinal legacy.
