S. NAZIMUDDIN AND M. QAISER
Hymenodictyon excelsum (Roxb.) Wall
Medium-sized deciduous tree, 10-15 m tall, bark smooth. Leaves 10-25 x 7-15 cm, oblong, ovate, elliptic or orbicular, acuminate, entire, pubescent on both sides; petiole 2-8 cm long; stipules broad, ovate-elliptic, c. 1 cm long, usually glandular-serrate. Inflorescence terminal and axillary compound panicles; floral leaves 6-10 cm long. Flowers small, clustered, sweet-scented, white or greenish, shortly pedicelled. Calyx c. 2 mm, 5-toothed, corolla funnel-shaped, c. 4 mm long, tube longer than lobes, lobes 5, valvate in bud, elliptic-ovate. Stamens inserted on the mouth of the corolla-tube, ± sessile. Capsule with enlarged thickened and decurved pedicel, ellipsoid, oblong-ovoid, c. 1.5 cm long. Seeds numerous, small.
Fl. Per.: June-August.
Type: Described from India.
No specimens have been seen, but reported from Kashmir foothills by Stewart, l.c.
Distribution: India, Burma, Indo-China, Malaya, Pakistan and Himalayas.
The plant is used as a tonic and febrifuge.