An evergreen tree, 14-30 m tall; branchlets hoary tomentose, tomentum dwindling with age. Leaves 12-25 cm long, 6-10 cm broad, elliptic-oblong, ovate to obovate, entire, bright green above, usually rusty tomentose beneath, rarely glabrous; apex acute, obtuse or acuminate; base cuneate; stipules forming a long conical sheath covering the bud. Flowers solitary, terminal, 15-25 cm in diameter, fragrant; pedicel stout, l.5-3 cm long; bracts rusty tomentose. Perianth 9-15, concave, the outer broader and longer, oval to ovate, 6-9 cm long, 3-5.5 cm broad, oblanceolate, acuminate. Stamens l.25-2 cm long; filaments bright purple; anthers adnate, yellow, introrse. Carpels l-2 ovuled; fruiting carpels ovate to obovate, 1.5-3 cm long, rusty brown tomen¬tose, dehiscing by dorsal suture. Seeds l-l.25 cm long, obovoid or triangular-obovoid, bright red.
Fl.Per.: April-May.
Distribution: A native of Southern United States, widely introduced and cultivated in Europe and temperate countries.
Cultivated in northern part of Pakistan. Oil is extracted from leaves and flowers. The pounded leaves are used for toothache.
