Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. | |
Anacardiaceae | |
Karasu/Uthiayamaram | |
| Botanical Name | Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. |
| Synonyms | Calesiam grande .(Dennst.) Kuntze; Calsiama malabarica Rafin. |
| Family | Anacardiaceae |
| Common Name | English : Indian Ash Tree / Tamil : Uthiayamaram, Karasu |
| Distribution | Global : South east Asia, India, Sri Lanka and China Indian: Throughout India. |
| Description | Large deciduous tree up to 25m height, bark grey to dark brown colour, rough, irregular flakes in trunk, gummy exudate present. Young parts tomentose. Leaves imparipinnate compound, petiolate, alternate, clustered at tip, Pinna oblong, ovate to lanceolate, apex acuminate, margin entire, upper and lower surface with stellate hairs. Inflorescence compound raceme. Flowers small, tetramerous, incomplete, unisexual, yellowish green in colour, male flowers present in compound raceme, small, calyx 4 lobed, persistent, Corolla 4 petals, lanceolate, greenish yellow, reflexed, annular disc present with 8 lobes. Stamens 8, inserted below the disc, filament unequal, yellowish green, ovary absent or abortive. Female flower minute in simple raceme, tetramerous as like male flowers except stamens with short filament and sterile anther, Ovary tetracarpellary, superior, pendulous, style, 4, short, stigma peltate. Fruit small, drupe, ovoid, ripened fruit red colour, seed compressed. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | January - March / Aprile - June |
| Uses | Tree planted in garden, used to make plywood, grown as hedges, tannin and resin for impregnation of fishing nets |
| Medicinal Uses | Used in traditional medicines. Leaves and barks were used to treat hepatitis, diabetics, ulcer, heart diseases and dysentery. |
| Tamil Name | Karasu/Uthiayamaram |
