Gmelina is commonly known as white teak and Kashmir tree growing
throughout India extensively in sub-Himalayan tracts including Assam and
near the areas from west Bengal to orissa.
Gmelina is also distributed in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia,
Vietnam and provinces of china.
Gmelina also has variety of uses including medicinal in India and other
parts of the world.
Gmelina is deciduous tree growing to 30 m tall in height having
chlorophyll layer on the outer bark.
The leaves of this tree are found to be 4 to 9 inches long and 2.5 inch
broad with opposite petioles and broadly ovate blade at the base.
The flowers are in racemes, tubular, two lipped and yellow to brownish
with four stamens.
The fruit is yellow fleshy ovate berry of 3 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.
Gmelina arborea is specie which is majorly cultivated in Asia including
Indian Himalayas and nilgiri mountains.
It is usually found at the hills with an altitude of 1500 feet and
commonly in the gardens as an avenue.
Roots and fruit.
Oil, resins, alkaloids, benzoic acid, butyric acid, tartaric acid.
The root and bark of gmelina is considered stomachic, laxative and
anthelmintic.
It is a good remedy for piles, abdominal pains, improving appetite,
inflammation and urinary discharge.
The timber of gmelina is strong and tough which is used extensively in
making furniture and construction purpose.
The flowers are thought to be sweet, acrid, astringent and useful in
diseases like leprosy and anemia.
The decoction of Gmelina makes a good remedy for snakebite and scorpion
sting.