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Schleichera oleosa

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

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  • Botanical Name : Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken
  • Common Name : Ceylon Oak, Kusum Tree, Lac Tree, Gum Lac Tree
  • Plant Family : Sapindaceae
  • Plant Form : Tree
  • Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

About Schleichera oleosa Plant :

  • Habit : A large tree.
  • Leaves :
    • Young leaves bright red, gradually turning green.
    • Alternate, pinnate, leaflets 2-4 pairs, the lower leaflets much smaller than the terminal ones, entire, glabrous, obtuse to acute or subacuminate.
  • Inflorescence : Racemes either axillary or below the leaves.
  • Flowers :
    • Yellow or yellowish in colour.
    • Calyx 4-6 fid, petals 0.
  • Fruit :
    • About 1.5-2 cm long, ovoid, beaked, often echinate with stout blunt prickles.
    • Seeds 1-2.
  • Flowering and Fruiting Time : March - April
  • Significance :
    • The bark is astringent.
    • The oil from the seeds is used in the treatment of itch and acne.
    • The oil in general is used for anointing the body.