Saraca indica, Fabaceae
Medicinal Uses
- Menorrhagia: 10 grams of
Ashoka bark is boiled in 200ml of
water till it reduced nto ¼ th . This
filtered decoction is administered
orally twice daily before food. If
required, a teaspoon of honey
or jaggery can be added to this.
It subsides excessive bleeding
during menses.
- Irregular periods: Equal quantity
of Ashoka, Yashtimadhu, Lajjalu
powders are taken. 10gms of
this mixure boiled in 200ml of
water till it reduced to ¼ th . This
filtered decoction consumed 3-5
days prior to the date of periods
and continued till 10 days after
periods twice daily. - Wound: Ashoka bark decoction is
prepared and used for washing
the wounds and non healing
ulcers. - Mouth ulcers: One fistfull of
Ashoka flowers and half fist of
coconut pulp are taken and
churned well in mixer grinder.
To this, as per taste, salt, black
pepper, curry leaves and coriander
can be added. This recipe is very
useful in treating gastritis, mouth
ulcers, GERD. - Leucorrhoea: Equal quantity of
Ashoka bark, Amalaki fruit and
Nagakesar powders are mixed
well. 1-2 gram of this powder is
mixed with a cup of rice washed
with water or sweet buttermilk
and administered twice daily.
This pacifies leucorrhea very
effectively.
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | It is a tree, up to 24 m tall. The trunk can reach up to 34 cm in diameter. |
|---|---|
| Foliage | Leaves are compound and paripinnate. Each leaf has (1–) 2 – 4 (– 7) pairs of leaflets. Leaflet is elliptic-ovate to lanceolate, measuring (5–) 15 – 20 (– 30) long and (1.5–) 3.5 – 6 (– 11) cm wide. The leaflet tip is sharply pointed (acute) to obtuse while the base is rounded, cordate or wedged shaped. The pair of leaflets closed to the leaf stalk is usually smaller than the rest of the leaflets. Young leaves flush white, pink or purple and hang pendulously like a tassel. They gradually turn green as they mature. |
| Flowers | Inflorescence is branched (corymb), measuring 3 – 15 (– 20) cm wide, and usually comprises of a blend of various colours simultaneously. The flower’s colour is variable, ranging from orange-yellow, deep orange, purple and red, and may have a darker eye in the center. Each flower is accompanied by a slightly upright and spreading bracteole (0.3 – 0.8 cm long) which can persist or fall off during flower maturity. The flower stalk spans about (0.4 –) 1.2 – 2 (– 3.5) cm long. Each flower has (5 –) 6 – 8 (– 10) stamens. The filament, especially the basal parts, is often covered with fine hairs. The flowers may have a subtle fragrance. The tree is observed to bloom several times a year in Singapore. |
| Fruit | The woody fruit pod is oval or oblong-lanceolate (about 6 – 25 cm long and 2 – 6 cm wide) with a beaked tip (about 1 cm long). Fruit pods coil and split into two when ripe. |
| Habitat | It is found in tropical forests and swamp forests, often along streams and occasionally on limestone, up to 900 m altitude. |
| Associated Fauna | It is pollinated by insects. |
| Etymology | The genus epithet is derived from the Indian Sanskrit name Asoka. The specific epithet, in Latin, refers to India, one of the locations previously thought to be its place of origin. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses | Timber & Products: The wood is sometimes used to make small utensils, pallets, veneer and plywood. Others: It is commonly cultivated in Singapore for its ornamental flowers. In Thailand, the flowers are sometimes eaten by indigenous villagers and said to taste sourish. <2> |
Vernacular names
Assamese : Ashoka
Bengali : Ashoka
English : Asok Tree
Gujrati : Ashoka
Hindi : Ashoka
Kannada : Ashokadamara, Ashokamara,
Kankalimara
Kashmiri : Ashok
Malayalam : Asokam
Marathi : Ashok
Oriya : Ashoka
Punjabi : Asok
Tamil : Asogam, Asogu, Asokam
Telugu : Ashokapatta
