721. Bassia latifolia, Roxb., h.f.b.l, iii. 544 ; Roxb. 411.
Sans. : — Madhuka.
Vern. : — Mahwá, mahuá, mahula, maul (H. and B.) ; Moha (Uriya) ; Mandukum (Kó1.) ; Matkom (Santal.) ; Mahurá (Bhil) ; Irúp, irrip, irhu (Gond.) ; Mohu (Kurku) ; Mová, mahua, mohá (Bom.); Mahuda or Mahura (Guz.) ; Mowda, ránácha-moóhácha-jháda, ránácha-ippécha-jháda, moho, maodá, mohá (Mar.) ; Illupi, elupa, kát illipi, káthi-iluppai, káttu-iluppai, káttu-irrupai (Tam.) ; Ippi, ippa, yeppa, adavi-ippe-chettu (Tel.) ; Hogue, hippe, kádu-ippe-gida (Kan.) ; Poonam, káttrippa banam (Mala).
Eng. : — The Butter or Mahuá tree.
Habitat : — Throughout Central India, from West Bengal to the Western Ghauts ; also wild in the Kumaon Terai.
A large, evergreen tree, says Gamble ; " Deciduous, " says Kanjilal ; usually with a short trunk and rounded crown, young shoots, young leaves, stipules and pedicels tawny tomentose. Bark ½in. thick grey, or blackish with vertical cracks, the inner portion reddish or milky, exfoliating in thin scales. Wood from hard to very hard ; sap wood large ; heartwood reddish-brown. Branches many, spreading, forming a close symmetrical head. Leaves firm, clustered near ends of branches, 5-9in. long, elliptic or oblong elliptic ; main lateral nerves 10-12 pair, base cuneate, petiole 1-1½in. long. Stipules subulate, pubescent, soon falling.. Flowers in dense clusters at the ends of branches, pedicels l-2in. long. Calyx ⅝in., divided nearly to the base, coriaceous, segments 4-5, densely tomentose outside. Corolla ⅔in. long, cream-coloured, fleshy, juicy, sweet, early caducous, tube ovoid, lobes short, erect, 7-4, usually 8-9, stamens 24-26, anthers subsessile, hairy at the back, inserted in 3 series inside the Calyx-tube. Ovary hirsute ; style lin. or more in length, hairy at the base. Berry ovoid, fleshy, green, l-2in. long, 1-4-seeded, seeds ½-lin. long.
Use : — The flowers yield a distilled spirit, which is described by Sushruta as heating, astringent, tonic and appetising. The flowers are regarded as cooling, tonic and nutritive. They
