Botanical Name : Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub.

Common Name :  Flame of the forest , palash

Classification –

• Kingdom  - Plantae

• Division- Magnoliophy

• Class – Magnoliopsida

• Order – Fabales

• Family – Fabaceae

• Genus – Butea

• Species -   monosperma

Characterisitics Of Fabaceae Family

This family also called bean and legume .our species in the fabaceae include trees, herbs, shrubs and lianas. The leaves are alternate and in most species are divided into leaflets. Flower may be borne singly or may be grouped into various arrays. Flower are actinomorphic and zygomorphic . the sepal form a tube with lobes that are often of different lengths. The petals are often arranged such that a larger . There are usually 10 stamens and 1 ovary which has a single style and stigma . the fruit ususlly a legume , rarely the fruit is a schizocarp.

Habitat –Dry and moist deciduous forests also grown in the plains.

World Distribution –  Tropical Himalaya , Sri Lanka , Malaysia , Nepal, India.

Distribution – Andhra Pradesh , Maharashtra , Odisha , Tamil Nadu , Kerala , Madhya Pradesh.

Plant  discription-

Butea monosperma is a small to medium-sized, slow-growing,  deciduous tree, usually reaching a height of 5 - 15 metres, with occasional specimens up to 20 metres. 

Leaves trifoliate, alternate; stipules small, lateral, cauducous; Flowers are showy, bright orange in clusters on leafless branches.

Flowers are large, in a rigid racemes, deciduous, olive-green,densely velvety outside. the fruit is a flat legume. Pods are stalked 12.5-20 by 2.5-5 cm, thickened at the sutures with a single seed.

Uses of plant

• External application of butea bark is applied over wounds and ulcers for quick healing.

• Butea bark and flowers are used to reduce pain in affected areas and inflammation and sprain in body .

• Gum of the tree is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.

• Fruits and seeds are used in the treatment of piles and various eye related disorder.

• The leaves are used in death related ritual.