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Oroxylum indicum - Shyonaka
Shyonaka is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, commonly called Oroxylum indicum, midnight horror, oroxylum, or Indian trumpet flower , tattuna.[1] It is a tree which can reach a height of 12 metres (39 ft).
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Description
The large leaf stalks wither and fall off the tree and collect near the base of the trunk, appearing to look like a pile of broken limb bones. The tree is a night-bloomer and flowers are adapted to natural pollination by bats. They form enormous seed pods that hang down from bare branches. Those long fruits curve downward and resemble the wings of a large bird or dangling sickles or swords in the night. The seeds are round with papery wings.[2]
Uses
- The Oroxylum indicum seed is used in the traditional Indian ayurvedic medicine.
- Shyonaka root bark is one of the ingredients of dashamoola (a group of 10 roots). It is used for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic action in a number of compound formulations in Ayurveda.
- The bark of O. indicum is a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient, as well as is one of main ingredients in Sri Lankan indigenous medicine in decoctions as a remedy for pains in joints or rheumatism
- The tree is often grown as an ornamental for its strange appearance. Materials used include the wood, tannins and dyestuffs.
- In the Himalayas, people are hanging mobiles or garlands made from O. indicum (Skr. shyonaka) seeds from the roof of their homes for protective reasons.
