Millettia pinnata (L.) panigrahi | |
Fabaceae | |
Pungam | |
| Botanical Name | Millettia pinnata (L.) panigrahi |
| Synonyms | Pongamia Pinnata. (L.) Pierre; Pongamia glabra.Vent. |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Common Name | English: Indian Beech / Tamil: Ponga, Pungam |
| Distribution | Global : Tropical Asia, Australia, Egypt and Sudan Indian : Tamil Nadu , Rajasthan and Bihar. |
| Description | Deciduous tree up to 15-25m tall with straight or crooked trunk, Bark grey-brown, vertically fissured or smooth in young. Leaves compound with tripinnate, alternate, rounded, or cuneate at the base, ovate or oblong, prominent vein underneath. Inflorescence raceme; Flowers small, cluster, strongly fragrant, calyx 5, small bell-shaped and truncated. corolla 5, white to pinkish, ovate shape, with basal auricles and often with a central blotch of green colour. Stamens 10, diadelpous, staminal column covers style, style short. Fruit pod, 1-2 seeded, thick walled, flattened, slightly curved and elliptical. Seeds brittle and oily coat. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | April - June / February - May |
| Uses | Wood moderately hard, used for cart-wheels and agricultural implements. |
| Medicinal Uses | Leaves used as green manure. Seeds yield an oil used for the preparation of medicines and biodiesel. |
| Tamil Name | Pungam |