MADHUCA LONGIFOLIA

MAHUA
Presented By: Swati Santosh Shashank Saurav

Name
Botanical name : Madhuca Longifolia. Medusa Indica. Madhuca Latijolia. Local name : English: Honey tree, Butter tree. Oriya: Mahula. Bengali: Mohua.

HABITAT
Mahua is a frost resisting tree of the dry tropics and sub-tropics, common in deciduous forests and dry plain forests. The tree is usually found scattered in pastures and cultivated fields in central India. It is extensively cultivated near villages. Madhuca latifolia is a medium sized to large deciduous tree, distributed in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Climate & Soil

It is a tree of dry tropical and subtropical climate. The tree grows on a wide variety of soils like clayey and calcereous soils but prefers sandy soil. It also performs in alluvial soil. It performs well in the areas with rainfall between 800-1800 mm.

About plant
It is deciduous or evergreen or semi ever-green tree. It may attend to about 70 feet long height, with a spreading, dense, round, shady canopy. . The tree matures and starts bearing 8 to 15 years, and fruits up to 60 years. Bark is rough, brown in color, slightly cracked and fissured, inner bark red, exudes white, milky sap when cut. Leaves elliptic, tip pointed, base angled, texture thick, hairy beneath. Stalk 2-4cm, reddish. Flowers in bunches at the end of the branches, white, 2cm long, pointed, sweat scented, fleshy. Fruits ovoid, fleshy, 2-4cm across, greenish, 1-4 seeded. Seeds elongate, 2 cm long, brown shining.

Religious significance
The tree is sacred to tribes in India. There is a legend that God Shiva gave the trees to people to survive . The flowers and branches are used in marriage ceremonies. Leaves are joined together with small sticks to make disposable platters which are used to serve food during wedding.

USES
As Medicine As Food and Drink Food for silk moths For manufacturing oil For manufacturing detergent and soap Use as Manuring For Timber

Mahua as medicine
Mahua is useful in arresting secretions or bleeding because of its tannin content. The bark of the tree is an astringent and tonic. The flowers of the tree help the removal of catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. They also exercise the soothing effect of the skin. A decoction of the bark can be given internally in rheumatic diseases. It is also be taken in diabetes mellitus with beneficial results. The leaves are effective in the treatment of eczema.

Mahua as food
Dried flowers are crumbled and mixed with wheat flour to make bread Flowers are aromatic and sweet and are used to prepare a dessert "lapsi" with a thick soup while the ripe fruit is used as vegetable. It is rich in sugar (73%) and next to cane molasses constitute the most important raw material for alcohol fermentation. Leaves, flowers and seeds are also used as fodder for cattle's. It is also use to prepare oil, for adulteration of Ghee and manufacturing chocolates.

Mahua as oil
Seeds of mahua is used as oil for edible purposes culinary, hair oil, illumination and lighting. It also used as bio-fuel in many countries.

Mahua as soap
It has largest source of natural hard fats which is used for the production of washing soaps.

Mahua as manure
Mahua cake can be used as cheap organic manure. The cake can be used to control predatory fish present in the pounds and lakhs. The cake is a cheap and effective wormicide to maintain the turf, lawn and golf ground, free from earth warms. Root of Mahua is capable in performing nitrogen fixation process which makes soil rich in nitrogen.

Mahua as timber
Wood of Mahua is heartwood which is reddish brown, strong, hard and durable; very heavy (929 kg/cu. m), takes a fine finish. It is used for house construction, naves and felloes of cartwheels, door and window frames.

Other uses
The leaves are eaten by moths that yield a coarse silk. The juicy flowers are a boon in the drought ridden places where they grow attracting humans and animals alike. Bears, bees, cows frequent these trees.

Thank you!!!