Terminalia bellirica

• Botanical Name : Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb.
• Synonyms : Myrobalanus bellirica Gaertn.
• Common Name : Behda, Belleric Myrobalan, Bastard Myrobalan
• Plant Family : Combretaceae
• Plant Form : Tree
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park, Ayurvedic Udyan, Van Chetana Kendra, Basan, Aranya Van

About Terminalia bellirica Plant :

• Habit : A big tree.
• Leaves : Alternate, coriaceous, entire, elliptic-obovate, apex rounded or acute, base tapering.
• Inflorescence : Axillary spikes.
• Flowers :
  • Pale greenish-yellow and smelling.
  • The upper flowers are male but the lower are hermaphrodite.
  • Sepals united, teeth-5, broadly triangular, acute.
  • Petals 0.
  • Stamens 10, episepalous, 2-seriate the upper series alternate with and longer than the lower, exserted.
  • Ovary inferior, 1-celled, ovules pendulous.
• Fruit : Drupe abruptly narrowed into a short stalk, obscurely angled when dry.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : March - May
• Significance :
  • The fruits are used in dyeing and making ink and hair oil.
  • It is bitter, laxative, useful in bronchitis and asthama.