Jarul

Jarul

Scientific name: Lagerstroemia speciosa

English names: Pride of India, Queen Flower, CrepeFlower.

Local names: Jarul, Kama Jarul.

Botanical Description:

Habit: A medium-sized, much branched deciduous tree, bark greyish to brown, smooth, peeling off in thin irregular flakes, blaze whitish.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 8.5-20.0 x 3.0-7.5 cm, acuminate at the apex, acute to rounded at the base, glabrous and finely reticulate on both surfaces, lateral nerves 8-12 on either half, prominent beneath, petioles 5-9 mm long, stout.

Inflorescence: Inflorescence a terminal panicle, 14.0-355 cm long, ultimate branches 1to 3-flowered.

Flower: Flowers large, showy, mauve-purple, 5-7 cm across, pedicels pubescent, thickened upwards and auriculated below the middle. Calyx tube turbinate, covered with white or ferruginous tomentum, ribbed with 12-14 prominent stout ridges, sepals 7-8 x 4-5-5,0 mm, spreading in fruits, woody, appendages minute, thick. Petals 2.5-4.0 x 2.0-2.5 cm, suborbicular or rotund-ovate, clawed, claw 5-6 mm long.

Androecium: Stamens all equal, shorter than the styles.

Gynoecium: Ovary 6 mm in diameter, ovules numerous, ascending, styles long, stigmas capitate.

Fruit: Fruit a capsule, ellipsoid or subglobose, 1.5-2,0 cm in diameter, smooth,seated onaccrescent woody, ribbed calyx tube, 5 valved.

Seed: Seeds triangular, pale brown, laterally expanded into an oblong wing.

Economic Importance: Used as an avenue tree. Wood is strong and fairly durable, and is used for carts, boat making, making doors, windows and house posts. The root is considered as astringent, stimulant and febrifuge. The bark and leaves are purgative and the seeds are narcotic.