Description

Indian Elm or jungle cork tree is a species of elm native to most of Indian Subcontinent, Indo-China and Myanmar. It is found mostly on plains but also in mountains on elevations up to 1100 m. It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 18 m tall. It has grey bark, covered with blisters, peeling in corky scales on old trees. Alternately arranged leaves are elliptic-ovate, 8-13 cm long and 3.2-6.3 cm wide, smooth, with entire margins, and a pointed tip. Leaf base is rounded or heart-shaped. Stipules are lance-shaped. Crushed leaves emit an unpleasant odour. Flowers are small, greenish-yellow to brownish, pubescent, borne in short racemes or fascicles at the scars of fallen leaves. Sepals are velvety, often 4. Fruit is an a circular samara, 2.5 cm in diameter, with membranous, net-veined wings, and flat seed. Indian Elm (Scientific Name: Holoptelea integrifolia) is used for timber which makes cheap furniture and also used as firewood in rural parts. It is also used in ecological forestry for its heat and drought tolerance and regenerative abilities. Its flowers, leaves and bark have medicinal uses against several diseases.

Characteristics:

Large deciduous trees, to 25 m high, bark 6-8 mm thick, whitish-grey, smooth; blaze yellowish-grey, streaked with light brown; branchlets pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate; stipules lateral, scarious; petiole 5-10 mm, stout, pubescent; lamina 6-12.5 x 2.5-6.5 cm, ovate-oblong, ovate or elliptic-ovate, base rounded or subcordate, apex acuminate, margin entire, distantly serrate when young, coriaceous, glabrous above, appressed pubescent punctate below; lateral nerves 6-9 pairs, pinnate, prominent, intercostae reticulate, prominent. Flowers polygamous, appear before leaves, 5-8 mm across, greenish-purple, in axillary fascicles; tepals 4 or 5, free, anthers pubescent; female flowers with longer pedicels; ovary superior, compressed, long stipitate, 2-winged, 1-celled, ovule 1; style 2 fid. Fruit a samara, 3 cm across, orbicular, wings nerved, glabrous, seed one.

Medicinal Uses:

The bark of Indian Elm is used in rheumatism. Seed and paste of stem bark is used in treating ringworm. Bark and leaves are used for treating oedema, diabetes, leprosy and other skin diseases, intestinal disorders, piles and sprue. Indian Elm is a versatile medicinal plant used in various indigenous systems of medicine for curing routine healthcare maladies. It is traditionally used in the treatment and prevention of several ailments like leprosy, inflammation, rickets, leucoderma, scabies, rheumatism, ringworm, eczema, malaria, intestinal cancer, and chronic wounds.