Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.

Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Magnoliopsida > Gentianales > Apocynaceae > Alstonia > A. scholaris

Description: Large trees; height to 30 m; bark 10-15 mm thick, surface grey-brown, irregularly cracked and shallowly fissured, subverrucose, lenticellate; blaze creamy yellow, outer layer thin, corky, inner layer brittle; latex milky white; branchlets whorled. Leaves simple, whorled, estipulate; petiole 5-12 mm long, stout, glabrous; lamina obovate, oblanceolate or obovate-oblong; base cuneate or attenuate; apex obtuse or emarginate; margin entire, glabrous, subcoriaceous; lateral nerves many, slender, prominent, glabrous, parallel, looped near the margin forming intramarginal nerves; intercostae reticulate, obscure. Flower bisexual, greenish-white in terminal umbellate cymes; calyx cupular, lobes 5, ovate, unequal, obtuse, puberulous, eglandular; corolla salver shaped, 4 mm across, lobes 5, obovate to orbicular, creamy yellow, spreading; stamens 5, included; anthers narrowly cordate; disc obscure; carpels 2, free, ovules many; style filiform; stigma obconic. Fruit of two linear, narrow, pendulous follicular mericarps, green. Seeds 5-6 mm long, flat, commate at both ends.

Flowering and Fruiting: October-February

Uses: Ayurveda, Folk medicine, Homoeopathy, Folk medicine, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani, Siddha, Traditional Chinese medicine. It is used for fever, diarrhea, dysentery, heart diseases, tumors.

Cultivation: Cultivated.

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org