| Terminalia arjuna | |
|---|---|
| Arjuna fruit | |
| Arjuna flowers with a Sykes's Warbler | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Combretaceae |
| Genus: | Terminalia |
| Species: | T. arjuna |
| Binomial name | |
| Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. |
|
Terminalia arjuna (Neer maruthu in Tamil and Malayalam, commonly called Arjuna[1] or the Arjun Tree in English)[2] is a tree of the genus Terminalia.
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The Arjuna is about 20-25 metres tall; usually has a buttressed trunk, and forms a wide canopy at the crown, from which branches drop downwards. It has oblong, conical leaves which are green on the top and brown below; smooth, grey bark; it has pale yellow flowers which appear between March and June; its glabrous, 2.5 to 5 cm fibrous woody fruit, divided into five wings, appears between September and November.[1][2]
The Arjuna is usually found growing on river banks or near dry river beds in West Bengal and south and central India.[1]
The Arjuna is one of the species whose leaves are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth which produces the tassar silk (Tussah), a wild silk of commercial importance.[3]
In studies in mice, its leaves have been shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.[1]
The Arjuna was introduced into Ayurveda as a treatment for heart disease by Vagbhata (c. 7th century CE).[4] It is traditionally prepared as a milk decoction.[4] In the Ashtānga Hridayam, Vagbhata mentions Arjuna in the treatment of wounds, hemorrhages and ulcers, applied topically as a powder.[4]