Aphanamixis polystachya

Aphanamixis polystachya

 Family: Meliaceae (Neem family)

Synonyms: Aglaia polystachya, Amoora rohituka, 

Andersonia rohituka. 

Common name: 

Pithraj Tree 

• Hindi: हरिनहर्रा Harin-hara, Harinkhana 

• Manipuri: হৈৰাঙখোঈ Heirangkhoi 

• Marathi: Raktharohida 

• Tamil: malampuluvan, sem, semmaram 

• Malayalam: Chemmaram, sem • Telugu: Chevamanu, Rohitaka • Kannada: mukhyamuttage, mullumuttaga, mulluhitthalu, roheethaka 

• Bengali: Tiktaraj • Kuki: Sahala • Khasi: Dieng rata • Rongmei: Agan

 • Assamese: hakhori bakhori • Sanskrit: anavallabha, ksharayogya, lakshmi, lakshmivana, lohita.

Pithraj Tree is a deciduous tree native to India, growing to 20-30 m tall. Leaves are odd- or even- pinnate, 30-60 cm long, with 9-21 leaflets. Leaflets are oblong-elliptic, elliptic, or ovate, 17-26 × 4-10 cm with basal pair smallest, leathery when mature, with visible transparent tiny spots under sunlight. Base of the leaflets is oblique, margin entire. Flower clusters occur in leaf axils, less than a foot long. Flowers are 6-7 mm in diameter, with 3 bracteoles. Flowers have 5 nearly curcular sepals, 1-1.5 mm across. Petals are 3-7 mm in diameter, concave. Staminal tube is spherical, smooth. Anthers are 5 or 6, oblong. Capsule is sort of ovoid, 2-2.5 × 2.5-3 cm, orangish when mature. Seeds are greyish brown. Flowering: May-September. 

Medicinal uses: Bark is used in spleen, liver diseases, tumour and abdominal complaints. Seed-oil is used in rheumatism. 

Pawan kumar Gupta