Botanical name : Butea superba Roxb.
Family : Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS
Latapalasa
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES
Rasa    : Katu, Tikta, Kashaya
Guna   : Lakhu, Rooksha
Virya   : Ushna
Vipaka: Katu
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
English     : Red kwao kruva.
Hindi        : Latapalas
Malayalam    : Valli plash, Valli chamata
Distribution – Throughout central and southern India
PLANT DESCRIPTION
A perennial twinning shrub grows over trees and hedges. Leaves trifoliate, with equal sized oblong-ovate leaflets, petiole long and stipulate. Flowers yellowish papilonacious flowers, found in clusters. Fruits compressed pods bearing laterally compressed seeds.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, kapha, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, intestinal worms, diabetes, colic, flatulence, inflammation, hypertension, arthritis, sexual weakness, premature ejaculation and skin diseases. Watery sap from stems is used for drinking purposes. Bark is used in tonics and elixirs
Useful part    :    Bark, Leaves, Flowers, Seeds, Gum.

Photo : Dr. Eby Abraham MD