Balanites roxburghii

Balanites roxburghii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Zygophyllales
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Genus: Balanites
Species: B. roxburghii
Binomial name
Balanites roxburghii
Planch.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Agialid roxburghii (Planch.) Kuntze
  • Balanites indica Tiegh.
  • Balanites jacquemontii Tiegh.
  • Balanites rigida Royle ex B.D.Jacks.
  • Coccocypselum herbaceum Royle

Balanites roxburghii is a spiny, evergreen tree. It is common in open sandy plains of the Indian peninsula, western Rajasthan, west Bengal, Maharashtra and drier parts of India. The specific epithet roxburghii refers to the Scottish botanist William Roxburgh.[2]

Uses

Bark, fruit seed, leaves of the tree and the oil from seeds is of medicinal value.

In Mahabharata

Shalya Parva, Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 36 shloka 58 mentions the biodiversity of River Sarasvati (Sapta-Saraswat). It is one of the species found along the banks of Sarasvati River.

References

  1. 1 2 "Balanites roxburghii". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  2. Stearn, William (1973). A Gardenerer's Dictionary of Plant Names (Revised ed.). London: Cassell (published 1963). p. 278. ISBN 0304937215.


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