BUTEA MONOSPERMA

Common name: Flame of the Forest • Hindi: Palash पलाश, Dhak ढाक, Tesu टेसू • Manipuri: পাঙ গোঙ Pangong • Marathi: पळस Palas

Botanical name: Butea monosperma   

Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Synonyms: Butea frondosa, Erythrina monosperma, Plaso monosperma

Geographical distribution

The tree occurs throughout the greater part of India in sub tropical forests

Introduction:  Native to India, Flame of the Forest is a medium sized tree, growing from 20 to 4O feet high, and the trunk is usually crooked and twisted with irregular branches and rough, grey bark. The leaves are pinnate, with an 8-16 cm petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet 10-20 cm long. The hindi phrase ढाक के तीन पात ("Dhaak ke teen paat") comes from the prominent three leaflets of this tree. It is seen in all its ugliness in December and January when most of the leaves fall: but from January to March it truly becomes a tree of flame, a riot of orange and vermilion flowers covering the entire crown. These flowers, which are scentless, are massed along the ends of the stalks--dark velvety green like the cup-shaped calices--and the brilliance of the stiff, bright flowers is shown off to perfection by this deep, contrasting colour. Each flower consists of five petals comprising one standard, two smaller wings and a very curved beak-shaped keel. It is this keel which gives it the name of Parrot Tree. In olden days, the flowers of Tesu were used to make color for the festival of Holi. In Manipur, there is an interesting cultural use of the wood of this tree with beautiful flowers - when a member of the Meitei community dies and, for some reasons, his body cannot be be found, the wood of this tree is cremated in place of the body.
A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this flower.

Cultivation Collection:-

The trees prefer a sunny situation on moderately moist soil. The substrate should be sandy-loamy or gritty-loamy soil. They tolerate temperatures only above at least 1°C. Butea Monosperma usually grows as a mid-sized tree (up to 12 meters) and bears soft velvety leaves of bronze green color. Old leaves feel stiff and leathery. The tree sheds most of its leaves in winter to exposes branches. However, spring season brings foliage and abundance of flaming red-orange flowers that stand out in any landscape for their unusual shape and bright colors justifying the name ‘Flame of the Forest’.

Chemical composition

The flower contains butrin, isobutrin, coreopsin and roots contain b-sitosterol, leucoanthocynidin, amyrin, palasonin. Leaves contain glucosides and yellow tasteless oil.

Therapeutic uses

Leaves are astringent, diuretic, tonic and aphrodisiac. The plant is useful in diarrhoea, heartburn, sweating of phthisis, diabetes, flatulent colic, piles and worms; the leaves induce a fall in the amount of blood sugar and so are given in glycosuria.

Folk medicinal uses

Decoction of leaves is given as a rectal enema in diarrhoea and dysentery. A weak decoction of bark is given for cold, cough and catarrh. 10 to 20 gm. of seeds with honey are given thrice a day for three days; on the forth day a dose of castor oil is given to remove round worms. For backache and weakness caused after delivery, gum of Dhak is given in the dose of 2 gm. twice daily for 15 days duly fried in animal fat.

Preparations

Palash-bij-adi-churna, Palash-kshar-ghrit, Palash-adi-kwath.

Flowers: April – May