Digital Garden

Mitragyna parviflora

Kaim (Yamuna Kadamb)

Scientific name- Mitragyna parviflora

Common name- Kaim, True Kadamb, Yamuna Kadamb

Family- Rubiaceae

Habit type- Tree  

Geographical Distribution and general features- Mitragyna parvifolia is a large Deciduous tree growing 40 to 50 feet in height. It is a tree native to India. Can be thought of the Indian cousin of the Thai born Kratom (M. speciosa), more popular in the West. This is the true Kadamb which appears in Lord Krishna stories, rather than the tree which is now known as Kadamb. Mitragyna parviflora is distributed in eastern Asia - India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Leaves : Leaves are dark green, simple, opposite, smooth, rounded and decussate.

Flowers : Flowers are yellow and grow in ball-shaped clusters. Petioles are 1 to 4 centimeters long. Flowers are in terminal heads, fragrant, creamy-white or yellow, in ball-shaped clusters; peduncle supported by a pair of bract like oblong leaves.

Fruits and seeds: Fruits are capsules arranged in globose heads, 2 to 3 millimeters lone, ribbed. Seeds are many, small, 10-ribbed. 

Different Usage: 

Medicinal : Mitragyna parvifolia fresh leaves sap is used by the tribals in treatment of jaundice in the Chenchus, Yerukalas, Yanadis and Sugalis of Gundur District, Andhra Pradesh. Its leaves alleviate pain, swelling and for better healing from wounds and ulcers. M. parvifolia stem bark is used in treatment of biliousness and muscular pains by the local inhabitant of Tumkur district, Karnataka, India. The tribals of Sonaghati of Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh to heal fever by decoction of the M. parvifolia bark. Valaiyans tribe, population of Sirumalai hills, Madurai district, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu utilize stem bark of M. parvifolia for rheumatic pain. The bark and roots used to treat fever, colic, muscular pain, burning sensation, poisoning, gynecological disorders, cough, edema and as an aphrodisiac. The fruit juice augments the quantities of breast milk in lactating mothers and also work as lactodepurant. The timber is used for furniture, agricultural implements, cooperages paper industry etc.  

Ecological: 

• Birds, bees, butterflies. moths, flies feed on flower nectar

• Food plant for Commander (Moduza procris) butterfly

• Timber