Monday, June 16, 2008

STERCULIYA URENS | karaya


STERCULIYA URENS karaya

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Malvales

Family: Sterculiaceae

Genus: Sterculia




COMMON NAMES OF STERCULIYA URENS:-gulu, karai, kandol, thondi,kulu,ponaku

NATURE:-It is a normal size deciduous tree, Noticeable in an unpleasant way in the forest by its white or greenish-white and shining and also by the smooth paper bark.

LEAVES:-Leaves are mostly crowded at the end of the branches, which is in diameter by 25-45 cm,with their shallowely 5-lobed,with densely hairy on under surface.

FLOWERS:-Flowers are mostly yellowish –brown in colour, small ..in large with very densely hairy erect bunches.

FRUITS:-Fruits are mostly thick in size and they are in red carpels densely covered with stinging hairs.

MEDICINAL USES:-The gum release from the stem of the tree has its medicinal uses:, that is called karaya gum.that is used as a mechanical purgative.the karaya gum when applied to the skin has a softer

Softer action than tragacanth gum. The wood of this tree is used for mostly domestic purpose.. like a doors ,paking cases, carving etc.. the seeds of the plants are nontoxic. The gum is eaten in East Indian cookery (curries).

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