The Ceylon Ironwood

Location in BHU campus:Planted in Botanical garden

Botanical name : Manilkara hexandra (Roxb.) Dubard syn Mimusops hexandra Roxb

Family : Sapotaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Khirkhejur; Gujarati - Rayan, Khirni; Hindi - Khirni; Kannada - Bakula; Malayalam -Pala; Marathi - Ranjana, rayan, raini; Oriya - Khiri, khirakuli; Tamil - Palla, palai; Telugu-Manjipala, pala.

English names : The Ceylon Ironwood or Milk Tree

A medium-sized to large evergreen tree, up to 18 m high. Leaves 6-10 x 3-5 cm, obovate or oblong, coriaceous. Flowers whitish, axillary, solitary, or in fascicles of 2-6, ca 6 mm long. Fruit a berry, ca 1.2 cm long, ellipsoid, reddish yellow when ripe, 1 or rarely 2-seeded.

Flowering : October-December

• Sacred value

According to the astrologers the roots of this plant when used as talisman will have benevolent effect of the celestial body Moon. Fruits are eaten particularly during the fasting days by Hindus.

• Uses

Ripe fruits are eaten fresh or dried. Leaves are used as cattle fodder. Timber is strong and used for sugar mills and oil presses, posts, beams, carts, agricultural implements, furniture, etc. Bark is used as a febrifugal medicine in some parts of India. The tree has great medicinal importance. Edible oil is obtained from the seeds. It is often used as a rootstock for select varieties of chickoo.