535

Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.

Synonym	:	Echites scholaris L.
Family	:	Apocyanaceae
Local name	:	English- Devil tree, Shaitan wood. Malayalam-  Ezhilamppala, Yekshippala
Flowering and fruiting period	:	October – February
Distribution	:	South and South East Asia to Australia
Distribution in Kerala	:	All districts
Habitat	:	Moist deciduous forests and scared groves ,also In the plains.
Uses	:	Leaves are used in beri-beri, dropsy, fever, leprosy, skin diseases and abdominal disorders. Latex is effective in sores, ulcers, tumours and rheumatic spellings.
Key botanical characters: Large tree, lenticellate; latex milky white; Leaves simple, whorled obtuse or emarginated, base cuneate or attenuate, margin entire, glabrous,. Flower bisexual, greenish-white in terminal umbellate cymes. Calyx cupular, ovate, unequal, obtuse, puberulous, eglandular. Corolla salver shaped, creamy yellow, spreading. Stamens 5, anthers narrowly cordate.Fruit of two linear, narrow, pendulous follicular mericarps.