Melia azedarach

Melia azedarach

Melia azedarach, commonly known as the chinaberry tree, Pride of India, bead-tree, Cape lilac, syringa berrytree, Persian lilac, Indian lilac, or white cedar, is a species of deciduous tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that is native to Indomalaya and Australasia.

Uses

Antioxidative, Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, Insecticidal,Rodenticidal, Antidiarrhoeal,Deobstruent, Diuretic,Antidiabetic, Cathartic.

Parts Used

Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Azedarach including Flavonoid, phytosterols, Diterpene, alkane hydrocabon, n-alkanoic acid, vitamin-E and Tri-terpene, Terpene alcohol. A new limonoid, two new anthraquinones and a new glycosyl derivative of ellagic acid were isolated and identified in the roots of Melia composita.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Kadu Bevu
Hindi	Bakain, Drek, Deikna, Bakarja, Malla Nim
Malayalam	Malaveppu
Tamil	Malaivembu, Mallay Vembu, Puvempu, Malaivembu
Telugu	Turakavepa, Taraka Vepa
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Ramyaka, Dreka
English	Persian Lilac, Chinaberry, Bead Tree, Bastard Cedar, Indian/Barbados/Cape Lilac, Bakain, Drek, Deikna

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Habit

Tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	Alternate	The leaves are up to 50 cm long, alternate, long-petioled, two or three times compound (odd-pinnate) the leaflets are dark green above and lighter green below, with serrate margins.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	Small	Pale purple	5	Growing in clusters. sepals 5-lobed, 1 cm long; petals 5-lobed, 0.9 cm long, pubescent; staminal tube deep purple-blue, 0.5 cm long, 1 cm across.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
Simple Fruit		The fruit is a drupe, marble-sized, hanging on the tree all winter, and gradually becoming wrinkled and almost white.	Light yellow at maturity		{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

roots.

How to plant/cultivate

Although successful vegetative propagation through stem cuttings, root suckers and air layering has been reported, propagation is usually by seed. Drupes need to be macerated until the seed can be gently eased out. Seeds are soaked in water for 1-2 days, depulped, and dried in the shade. They can be stored in a cool and well-ventilated place, in cloth or gunny bags. Plastic and other airtight containers should not be used for seed storage. Seed should be planted within two weeks after harvesting, as viability drops rapidly thereafter. Sowing is mostly done in a nursery at 15 cm × 2.5 cm in a sunny place, keeping the seed lightly covered with soil or mulch. Seedlings may be thinned to 15 cm × 15 cm when 2 months old, and transplanted when 7-10 cm tall.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Meadows.

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• Melia azedarach