Arjun

Location in BHU campus : Planted along roadside as well as in Botanical and Ayurvedic gardens.

Botanical name : Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) W.& A.

Family : Combretaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Assam-Orjun; Bengali-Arjhan; Gujarati-,Dhaula;Sadado; Hindi and Sanskrit-Arjuna; Kannada- Maddi; Marathi,Hollematti –Sammadat,sadaru,vellamarada; Oriya-Arjuno; Punjab-Vellamatta; Telugu-Yerramaddi,Thellamaddi .

English names : Arjun

A large buttressed tree up to 25 m high with a spreading crown and drooping branches,. Bark smooth, pale-greenish grey flaking off in in thin layers. Leaves sub-opposite, oblong or elliptic,leathery,hard,usually 10-15 x 4-7 cm ,cordate or rounded at base with a pair of glands near the top of the leaf-stalk.Flowers about 5 mm across,white,fragrant,in panicled spikes near tips of the branches.Flower cup and long stamens prominent. Fruit a drupe, 2.5 -5 cm long, ovoid or ovoid oblong, with five hard wings .

Flowering: April – May

Fruiting : December -February

• Sacred value

The tree is said to have been born of two sons of Kubera after saint Narada cursed them.The leaves and flowers are offered to Lord Ganesha on Siddhi VinayakaVrata and SankasthaChaturthi Vrata and to Vishnu on Anantapadmanabha vrata.

The plant is associated with the constellation Swati whose presiding deity is Vayu.

• Uses

A popular shade tree suitable for planting along roadside and parks. Bark produces a brown dye s which is used for dyeing and as a tanning agent.. The leaves are fed to tasar silkworms. The gum and bark are used in Ayurveda as a tonic and cure for many ailments. Timber is used for agricultural implements and for building of carts ,boats etc.