Details :

General description(Size, commonly seen , status of availability etc.)

Crataeva religiosa is believed to have originated from Japan, Australia, much of Southeast Asia and several South Pacific islands. In India, it is found in Peninsular India, Western India, Gangetic Plains, and Eastern India, up to Tripura and Manipur. It is a moderate sized deciduous tree which grows up to 15m in height and normally prefers moist, rich, neutral to acid soil for their growth. The tree has a grey bark with yellowish-white wood. Flowers occur in terminal corymbs and are greenish-yellow with purplish stamens. Fruits are round or ovoid in shape enclosed in a hard and rough rind and has unpleasant smell and burning taste. The seeds are numerous, kidney shaped, and embedded in a yellow pulp..   

Medicinal properties

Crataeva religiosa is a medicinal herb, whose leaves and bark are used for the treatment of various diseases. It is used to treat urinary disorders, cure benign prostate hyperplasia, restless leg syndrome, heart problems etc. It also helps in proper growth, weight Loss, strengthening of bones, urination and excretion. The bark is a laxative and also stimulates the appetite. The juice from the bitter stem bark or root is used in decoction as a laxative against colic and as a febrifuge. The bark and the leaves are pounded and applied as a poultice against rheumatism. The leaves can be heated and applied to treat earache.

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