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Mesua ferrea L.

Synonym	:	Mesua nagassarium (Burm.f.) Kosterm.
Family	:	Clusiaceae
Local name	:	English-  Cobra's Saffron, Indian Rose chestnut Malayalam- Nagapoovu
Flowering and fruiting period	:	April - July
Distribution	:	Indo – Malasia
Distribution in kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Evergreen forests
Endemic /Exotic		Endemic to Sri Lanka
Uses	:	Flowers are used in cough, asthma, dysentery, vomiting, impotency, leprosy, scabies, headache and fever. Seed oil is used in skin troubles.
Key botanical characters:  Trees; bark ash or grey coloured, reddish when cut. Leaves red and pendulous when young, simple, opposite, and elliptic to oblong- lanceolate, base. Flowers white, scented, solitary or in pairs at axils, bisexual, across. Sepals 4 in two pairs, broadly ovate, persistent. Petals 4, sometimes 5, white with brown veins, cm, obovate or obcordae, margins curled. Stamens numerous; anthers yellow. Ovary ovoid; ovules 2 in each locule; stigma peltate. Fruits, ovoid; seeds 1-4, pyriform, dark brown.