Common name
Iron Wood Tree
Local name
Thorlachampa
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Family | Calophyllaceae |
| Genus | Mesua |
| Species | ferrea |
General habitat
Usually found in evergreen forests.
Distribution in India
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Assam
- Bihar
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Uttar Pradesh
- West Bengal
Morphology
Grows in the form of a tree. The bark is reddish brown in colour. The leaves are long,slender and discussant. The flowers of the tree are white in colour, with many stamens which are of yellow/orange colour.
Medicinal Properties
A mixture of pounded kernels and seed oil is used for poulticing wounds.
The seed-oil is used for treating itch, scabies and other skin eruptions, dandruff and rheumatism.The fruit is alterative and stimulant. A paste of the fruit is applied to boils.The flowers are astringent and stomachic. A paste made from the flowers is used in the treatment of amoebic dysentery. A decoction of the flowers is drunk by women after childbirth.
Other Uses
It is the national tree of Sri Lanka and holds cultural significance in the country. The flowers are used in dyeing for fixed colours. Oli from seeds used as a fuel for lighting.
References
Mesua ferrea L., India Biodiversity Portal.
https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/15613
https://www.gbif.org/species/7330039
http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Mesua+ferrea
Biodiversity at FLAME University 