ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS

Common name: Scholar Tree, Dita bark, Devil tree, Blackboard Tree • Bengali: ছাতিম Chattim • Hindi: सप्तपर्णी Saptaparni, शैतान का झाड Shaitan ka jhar , Chitvan चितवन • Kannada: Aelele Haale, Bantale, Doddapala • Malayalam: Daivappala • Marathi: Satvin • Sanskrit: सप्तपर्ण Saptaparna • Tamil: ஏழிலை பிள்ளை Ezilai piLLai முகும்பலை mukumpalai • Telugu: Daevasurippi

Botanical name:   Alstonia scholaris   

Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)

Synonyms: Echites scholaris

Geographical distribution The plant occurs throughout the country and also planted in gardens and along road sides.

Introduction Scholar Tree is an elegant evergreen tree, found in most parts of India. The generic name commemorates the distinguished botanist, Prof. C. Alston of Edinburgh, 1685-1760. The species namescholaris refers to the fact that the timber of this tree has traditionally been used to make wooden slates for school children. In October small, green yet fragrant flowers appear. All parts of the tree can be considered poisonous. It is a tall elegant tree with grayish rough bark. Branches are whorled, and so are the leaves, that is, several of them coming out of the same point. The tree is really elegant whether it is flowering or not. The slightly rounded, leathery, dark green leaves form whorls of 4-7. And a very regular branching gives the tree a beautiful shape. The wood is too soft for making anything - so it is usually used in making packing boxes, blackboards etc. On the Western Ghats, tribal people are reluctant to sit or pass under this tree, for the fear of the devil. Local superstition about its devilish character mainly stems from the fact that its milky sap is rich in poisonous alkaloid, and thus the tree is shunned by cattle.
Medicinal uses: Its bark, known as Dita Bark, is used in traditional medicine to treat dysentery and fever. In Ayurveda it is used as a bitter and as an astringent herb for treating skin disorders, malarial fever, urticaria, chronic dysentery, diarrhea, in snake bite and for upper purification process of Panchakarma . The Milky juice of the tree is applied to ulcers.

Chemical composition

The bark contains ditamine, echitamine, echitanine, echicaoutin, echicerin, echitin, echiretin. The most active alkaloids are echitamine, ditamine and ditaine are excellent substitute for cinchona and quinine.

Therapeutic uses

It is useful in blood pressure, fevers, dyspepsia, debility, skin disease, liver complaints, chronic diarrhoea and dysentery and in the treatment of malaria and intermittent and remittent fevers.

Folk medicinal uses

Stem bark is finely ground and paste obtained is externally applied over the

affected part twice till cure in case of skin diseases. A poultice of powdered roasted leaves is a local stimulant when applied to ulcers with a foul discharge.The juice of the leaves and of fresh ginger is given to women after childbirth. Bark powder is given in the doses of 20-60 mg. per day to cure intermittent fever.

Flowers : Winter season

Fruits : March-June