Bitterroot Restoration

Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae

Common name: Kingshuk, Palash, Dhak, Flame of the Forest, Bastard Teak, Parrot Tree and Kesudo (Gujurati).
Edible Parts: Flowers, timber
Life cycle: Annual

Native Range: Native to tropical southern Asia, from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and western Indonesia.

Butea monosperma, an erect tree 12-15 m high with crooked trunk, irregular branches and rounded trifoliate leaves. It is a medium sized dry season-deciduous tree. The leaves are pinnate, The flowers are bright orange-red. The fruit is a pod 15–20 cm long and 4–5 cm broad. Butea monosperma is used for timber, resin, fodder, medicine, and dye. The flowers are used to prepare traditional Holi colour.

Constituents:

• Flowers contain 1.5 % glucoside butrin, 0.3 % butein, 0.04 % butin
• Kinotannic acid 15-60 %