789

Simarouba amara Aubl.

Synonym	:	Simarouba glauca DC.
Family	:	Simaroubaceae
Local name	:	English - Paradise tree Malayalam - Lakshmitharu
Flowering and fruiting period	:	January-May
Distribution	:	Native of America
Distribution in Kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Grown in homesteads and as avenue tree
IUCN Status	:	Least concerned
Endemic/Exotic	:	Exotic
Uses	:	The leaves and bark are used in the treatment of malaria, fevers and dysentery. They are also used to treat parasites both within and on the body.
Key Botanical Characters:   Dioecious tree, up to 35 m tall; outer bark hard with many minute lenticels and small vertical cracks. Leaves pinnate; leaflets oblong-elliptic, rounded or abruptly short-acuminate, acute to obtuse at base. Flowers unisexual, campanulate, green, in terminal panicles; peduncles and pedicels often minutely puberulent. Calyx shallowly bowl-shaped, 5-lobed,  acute, minutely ciliate; petals 5, ovate to elliptic; staminate flowers 4-5 mm long; stamens 10, equal lobes, in 2 whorls; gynoecium rudimentary, cushion-shaped, weakly 5-lobed,the trichomes tufted, forming a ring around outer edge; pistillate flowers oblong, deeply 5-lobed, 5-locular; style stout; stigmas 5, slender; carpels 5. Fruits of 3-5 drupes, green becoming red-orange or black at maturity; seeds ellipsoid.