KADAM (Kadambu)
| Name in Malayalam | : | കടമ്പ് |
| Name in Hindi | : | कदम्ब |
| Botanical Name | : | Anthocephalis indicus |
| Medicinal part | : | Leaf, Root ,stem, Fruit |
| Medicinal properties | : | Used for various ailments such as fever, uterine complaints, skin diseases, inflammation, anemia |
Description
kadam also called burflower-tree, laran, and Leichhardt pine, and called or cadamba locally, is an evergreen, tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia. The fruit and inflorescences are reportedly edible by humans. The fresh leaves are fed to cattle. N. lamarckia is grown as an ornamental, and for low-grade timber and paper. The timber is used for plywood, light construction, pulp and paper, boxes and crates, dug-out canoes, and furniture components.Characteristics:
In Hindu mythology, Kadam was the favourite tree of Krishna. Tree up to 45 m tall, without branches for more than 25 m. Diameter up to 100 (-160) cm but normally less; sometimes with buttresses. The crown is umbrellashaped and the branches are characteristically arranged in tiers. Leaves simple, 13-32 cm long. Flowers orange, small, in dense, globose heads. They appear like solid, hairy orange balls. The fruits are small capsules, packed closely together to form a fleshy, yellow or orange coloured infructescence containing approx. 8,000 seeds. The small capsules split into four parts releasing the seed at maturity. There are approximately 20,000 seeds per gram. It is believed to have medicinal value in curing astringent, ulcer, digestive, diarrhoea, expectorant, fever, vomiting. A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this tree.
