Ceylon iron wood

Scientific name of Ceylon iron wood: Mesua ferrea

Name  of Ceylon iron wood in different languages:

English: Indian rose chestnut, or Cobra’s saffron

Sanskrit: Champeryah; Nāgakesara; Nāgapushpa, Nāga (नाग)

Hindi: Gajapushpam; Nag champa (नाग चम्पा), Nagakesar (नाग केसर)

Malayalam: Nagakesaram നാഗകേസരം, Nagachampakam, Nanku-നാങ്ക്

Plant description of Ceylon ironwood:

Ceylon ironwood (Mesua ferrea) is commonly found in Western Ghats areas of evergreen forests, at the altitudes of 1500 meters, slow-growing tree, that grows to 30 meters tall. leaves are simple, opposite, oblong to lanceolate, bluish-grey to dark green leaves sized 7 to 15 cm long and 1.5 to 3.5 cm broad, whitish underside, young leaves are pink to red, flowers are fragrant, white and large, and male and female in separate plant, size to 4 to 7.5 cm in diameter, with five petals, stamens are orange or yellow. The fruits are ovoid to globose capsule and contain 1 to 2 seeds inside.
Medicinal uses: severe colds, sores, scabies, wounds, and rheumatism, the antidote for snake poison, bleeding hemorrhoids, dysentery with mucus, cough, and indigestion.

Useful plant parts:

Leaves, oil, flowers

How to prepare medicines:

The leaves of Ceylon ironwood are applied to the head for severe colds. Seed oil is used to treat sores, scabies, wounds, and rheumatism. The root of this plant can be used as an antidote for snake poison. Ceylon ironwood’s dried flowers are used for bleeding hemorrhoids and it is also used to treat dysentery with mucus, Fresh flowers are also prescribed for the treatment of cough and indigestion.

One of the ingredient in the Ayurveda medicines like-