Melia azedarach L.

Tree

Fl.& Fr.: May-December

Flowering : March to May Fruits: Ripening by August

Flowering & Fruiting: May-December

Seeds

Trees, 10-15m. Leaves 30-70cm, bi-pinnate, pinnae 5-9, opposite; leaflets 3-7 on each pinna with terminal leaflets, 2.5-51-2cm, ovate-lanceolate l,base obliquely cuneate, apex acuminate, margins toothed , stellate tomentose;petiolules 5mm.Flowers 1-1.5cm across, pale lilac,in axillary panicles; peduncles 7-10cm. Sepals 5, minutely stellate-tomentose. Petals 5, 4-7mm, linear-oblong, pubescent outside. Staminal tubes purple, glabrous. Drupes 1-1.5cm , elliptic, yellow, fleshy.

A deciduous middle sized tree. It is generally planted in home steads of Assam. Leaves pinate compound,leaflets 1-5 pairs, opposite, base oblique, margin serrated. The flowers are small, petals 5, white but tinged with purplish blue.Fruits are drupe, smooth, green when unripe and yellow after ripening

Medium sized deciduous trees, ca. 12-16 m tall, young shoots tomentose. Bark brownish grey, longitudinally exfoliating. Branches spreading; branchlets with leaf scars. Leaflets 3-7 on each pinna with terminal leaflet largest; petiolules ca. 5mm long; lamina ca. 2.5-5 x 1-2.5 cm, oblanceolate, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, oblique at base, acuminate at apex, toothed or lobed along margins; secondary nerves 8-15 pairs. Flowers in Panicles, axillary, ca. 1.5 cm across, liliac; pedicels slender, ca. 7 mm long; Calyx 5-lobed at base, pubescent outside; Sepals ovate to oblong-ovate, outside puberulent, apex acute; petals 5, ca. 7 mm long, lilac-colored, linear-oblong or oblanceolate, delfexed, pubescent outside; staminal tube 20-30 toothed, ca. 0.5-1 cm long, cylindric, purple; anthers 10, inserted on inner side of lobes and alternate to lobes, narrowly elliptic, apex slightly mucronulate; ovary spherical, glabrous, 5-8-locular, with 2 ovules per locule; style acerose; stigma capitate, 10-lobed. Drupes ca. 1-3 × 0.8-1.5 cm, yellow when ripe, ellipsoid or globose, endocarp ligneous. Seed ellipsoid.

Notes: Bunds of fields & in Backyards

Cultivated

Throughout Assam

Common

Threats recoded

It is found growing wild in the tropical forest

Flowers are eaten as vegetable, it is quite bitter in taste. Some tribes of western Assam prepare dishes with pounded rice. It is a good fire wood. Leaves are used in treatment of skin diseases, to kill worms of both man and domesticated animals

Twigs as toothbrush to prevent gum diseases.

Seeds, bark, stems and leaves possess insecticidal values, besides medicinal to cure scabies, leprosy, rheumatism and intestinal worms.