Home > Indian History > Flora & Fauna > Musket Tree
Musket Tree
Musket Tree is a medium or small tree which is found mainly in the southern regions of India and it possesses high medicinal value.

Share this Article:

Musket Tree, Indian Medicinal PlantMusket Tree is a medium-sized or small tree in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of India. The Botanical name of this plant is Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. There are various other names by which Musket Tree is known in different languages in India and some of them include nipaltunth in Bengali language, bucha, bhadrakshi mara and rudrakshi in Kannada language, tenbachai, rudrasam, thenmaram and tubakki in Tamil, rudraksham and uttha-rasham in Malayalam language and thenechettu, udrikpatta and rudraksha in Telugu language.

Musket Tree is a small or medium-sized tree which grows up to a height of 25 meters with brown, rough bark and spreading branches. The leaves of this tree are ovate to oblong or lanceolate, the base is unequally cordate, apex is acuminate, and margins are serrate, scabrid above, pubescent beneath and base is 5 to 7 nerved. Petioles are 0.5 to 2 centimeters long. The flowers of this Indian plant are small and yellow or purple in colour and are borne in axillary thyrsilorni cymes about 2 to 4 centimeters long. The sepals are five in number, at first spathaceous and the petals are also five in number. The Fruits (capsule) of Musket Tree are globose or ellipsoid, woody, tubercled, 5-celled, indehiscent, purplish-black and are about 1.2 to 4 centimeters long and 1.2 to 2.5 centimeters wide, containing numerous, ovoid, grey seeds 2.5 to 4 millimeters long and 1.8 to 2 millimeters wide.

Musket Tree is native to tropical America. This is one of the Indian medicinal plants which is cultivated in gardens and as a roadside shade tree in tropical and subtropical India, mainly in the southern parts of India. This tree is at times naturalized in the vicinity of towns and villages. Though not widely used in India, the roasted seeds of Musket Tree are regarded as an astringent. The bark of this medicinal plant is a tonic and demulcent, and an extract of the leaves of Musket Tree is reported to reduce corpulence. In Java, the fruit of this Indian medicinal plant is used in the treatment of stomach disorder and an infusion of the old bark of Musket Tree is regarded as sudorific and is very much useful in the treatment of skin diseases.


Share this Article:

Related Articles

More Articles in Flora & Fauna


Flora Of Uttarakhand
Uttaranchal falls under the west Himalayan Biogeography zone and it is well-known for floral diversity .
Flora and Fauna of Ladakh
Flora and Fauna is typical to t he kind of mountainous terrain which dominate the entire landscape of the region. Though some varieties of fauna are to be found here, the vegetation is very limited due to the dry and cold climate.
Flora and fauna in Tripura
Two-thirds of Tripura is forested where different species of trees, orchids, birds and wildlife are found. There are four sanctuaries in the state namely, Rowa wildlife sanctuary, Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary, Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Gumti wildlife sanctuary.
Flora and Fauna in Meghalaya
70 percent of Meghalaya is forested. Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity.
Flora and Fauna of Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is rich in flora and fauna. Flora includes thorn bush type of the arid plain to the temperate and alpine flora of the higher altitudes. Faunal species found here are leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, muskrat; varieties of snakes, bats, lizards etc.
Flora and fauna in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Economy of this region is primly based on agriculture. In Andaman island, paddy is the main food crop, while in Nicoabar island coconut and areca nut are the main crops. Some field crops like pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are also grown here.
Flora And Fauna Of Uttar Pradesh
Flora and Fauna of Uttar Pradesh is widely diversified and adds pride to the state.
Flora and fauna of Kerala
Flora and Fauna of Kerala are diverse. The favourable climate with heavy rainfall and good quality of the soils helps both the flora and fauna to thrive. Forest covers a large area in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
Flora and fauna of Karnataka
Flora and fauna of Karnataka are diverse and comprise of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Flora of Karnataka comprises of species like eucalyptus, teak and rosewood. Fauna of Karnataka comprises of species like leopard, gaur and wild pig.
Flora and Fauna of Rajasthan
The flora and fauna of Rajasthan supports all kinds of animal species and forests. The diverse flora and fauna of Rajasthan has made it a popular tourist destination.
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh
Flora of Arunachal Pradesh includes infinite species and is a subject of great interests for the botanists.
Flora and Fauna of Manipur
Flora and fauna of Manipur are known to be the assemblage of a huge variety including the endangered ones. The place is especially famed for orchid species which includes the most vibrant and beautiful ones of the world.