Economic Importance of Saraca asoca

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Saraca
Species: S. asoca
Common name:  Ashok
Origin: India

 Description: It is small evergreen tree. Leaves paripinnate, stipules intra-petioler, united, and leaflets 4-6 pairs, oblong, lanceolate, glabrous. Flowers orange to scarlet, in dense corymbose panicles;  Calyx yellowish orange to scarlet, petaloid, cylindric, four lobed. Petals  absent. Pods  tapering at both ends.

 Economic Importance:

• Bark astringent used in uterus infections. It has a stimulating effect on endometrium and ovarian tissue and in useful in menorrhagia due to uterine fibroids, in leucorrhoea and internal bleeding haemorrhoids, and hemorrhagic dysentery. Bark also contains an oxytoxic principle. Flowers are also used as a uterine tonic; used also in biliousness, hemorrhagic dysentery, and diabetes.
• In general, it is considered as the best female tonic.
• Fruits chewed as a substitute for areoa nuts. Pods make good forage.
• The seeds are strengthening and the ash of plant is good for external application in rheum-arthritis.
• Wood used for plough and shafts.

Image Credit: J.M Garg, Wikipedia