Mesua Ferrea

(Common name:- Nagkesar)

Classification

• Kingdom- Plantae
• Division- Magnoliophyta
• Class- Magnoliopsida
• Order- Malpighiales
• Family- Clusiaceae
• Subfamily- Kielmeyeroideae
• Tribe- Calophylleae
• Genus- Mesua
• Species- M.ferrea

History

Mesua ferrea is commonly known as nagkesar and is a native to tropical Sri Lanka also cultivated in Assam, southern Nepal, Indochina and Malay Peninsula.

The plant is cultivated basically for its hard timber, foliage and fragrant flower.

It is a bitter and a bit poisonous herb yet valued for its affective medicinal properties.

Plant Description

Mesua is an evergreen tree that grows to height of 20-30 m with erect and upright trunk of about 90cm in diameter, supportive at the base and crown conic.

The leaves are pendulous petiole 5-8mm and are blunt reddish brown and drooping when young.

The flowers are 4-7.5 cm in diameter consist of four petals and a centre of numerous yellow stamens.

Cultivation

Mesua is an evergreen tree and national tree of Sri Lanka. It is mainly cultivated in Sri Lanka and other parts of world.

The flower generally blooms in July and August and generally thrives in full sunlight.

Parts Used

Wood, bark and flowers are used

Uses

• Mesua tree's wood is considered to be heavy and used in making hard railway lines.
• The resin produced by the tree is slightly poisonous yet is very useful. It helps in aggravates the fairness of skin.
• The flowers are fragrant, acrid, anodyne, digestive and useful in stomachache, and constipation. In some countries the extract of flowers are used in perfumes.
• The flowers are also used to treat asthma, leprosy, cough, fever, vomiting and impotency.
• Fresh flowers are useful in itching, nausea, piles, excessive thirst and sweating.
• The seeds oil is considered for healing purpose as in sores, wounds and rheumatism.

Names

• English-: Ceylon ironwood, Cobra's saffron, Indian rose-chestnut, Iron-wood tree, Sembawang tree (Singapore).
• Italian-: Croco di cobra.
• German-: Nagassamen.
• Arabic-: Narae-kaisar.
• Russian-: Indiiskoe zheleznoe derevo, Mezua zheleznaia, Mezuia zheleznaia, Nagakeshara (from Hindi), Zheleznoe derevo.
• Burmese-: Gungen, Kenga
• Chinese- : Tie li mu, (Taiwan).
• Japanese-: Tagayasan.
• Thai- : Bhra na kaw, Bunnak (Boon naak), Ka ko (Karen), Gaa gaaw, Gam gaaw, Kam ko (Shan), Saan phee daawy, Saraphi doi (Chiang Mai).
• Assamese-: Nahor, Nokte
• Bengali-: Nagkesar, Punnaga.
• Gujarati-: Nagachampa.
• HIndi-: Nagchampa, Nagesar, Naghesar, Nagkesar , Nahar, Narmishka (Urdu name in Devanagari script).
• Kannada-: Nagakesari, Nagasampige.
• Malay-: Nagasari (Java), Penaga.
• Malayalam-: Churuli, Vainavu.
• Marathi-: Nagakeshara, Nagchampa, Thorlachampa.
• Sanskrit-: Champeryah, Nagakesara, Nagakeshara, Nagkesar, Nagakesarah, Nagkeshara, Nagkeshwar, Nagpushpa, Nagapuspah.
• Tagalog-: Kaliuas.
• Tamil-: Charu-nagapu, Nagappu, Nakecuram , Sirunagappoo, Tadinangu, Veillutta champakam.
• Telugu-: Kesaramu, Nagakesaramu, Nagashappu.
• Urdu: Narmishka.