Botanical Survey of India | Flora of India

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Picrasrna quassioides (D. Don) J.J. Bennett, Pl. Java Rar. 198. 1844; A.W. Bennett in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 520. 1875. Simaba quassioides D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 248. 1825.


Beng.:Bhurungi; Hindi: Bharangi, Charangi, Kashshing; Kh.: Dieng-khlang; Nep.: Sham abaringi; Punj.: Hala, Puthorin, tithu.

Trees or large scrambling shrubs, up to 12 m high; branches stout, dotted with Circular lenticels; bark more bitter, dark grey to black, smooth or slightly rough; young parts brown-tomentose. Leaves 30 - 35 cm long, lyrately imparipinnate; petioles 1.5 - 5 cm long, puberulous; leaflets 9 - 15, opposite, or sub-opposite, ovate to lanceolate or obovate, oblique at base, long acuminate at apex, serrate, 4 - 12 x 1.5 - 4(-6) cm, membranous, glabrous with age; lowest pair much smaller and stipuliform; lateral nerves 7 - 10 pairs, prominent beneath, pellucid, nerwles finely reticulate; petiolules 1.5 - 3.5 mm long. Flowers pale greenish, in axillary corymbose puberulous panicles ca 15 cm long; pedicels 5 - 10 mm long, articulate below middle. Sepals small, ca 1 mm long, imbricate. Petals 3 - 2.5 x ca 2 mm, ovate or oblong-obovate, much enlarged and coriaceous in fruit. Stamens equalling petals; filaments strap-shaped, thick hairyat base. Drupelets 1 5 together, obovoid or globose, ca 5 mm, black when ripe; seed single, erect.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - Sept.

Distrib. India: Subtropical Himalayas between 900 and 2500 m, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya.

Nepal, Bhutan, S. China, Japan, Korea.

Uses. The bitter bark and wood are used as substitute for commercial Quassia bark. The bark and leaves are used as febrifuge and insecticide.




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