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2. Termroalia arjuna Wight and Arn., Prodr. 314. 1834. (Fig. 113).
COMBRETACEAE
Terminalia berryi Wight and Arn.—Terminalia glabra Wight and Arn.—Terminalia ovalifolia
Rottl.—Pentaptera arjuna Roxb.—Pentaptera glabra Roxb.—Pentaptera angusti/olia Roxb.
Engl. White Murdah; Sink. Kumbuk; Tarn. Attumarudu, Kulamarudu, Marudu,
Nirmarudu, Vellaimarudu; Hindi Anjan, Anjani, Arjan, Arjun, Arjuna, Jarala, Kahu, Kahua,
Kaugach, Khawa, Koha, Kowa; Sans. Arjuna, Chitrayodhi, Dhananjaya, Dhanvi, Dhavala,
Gandiri, Gandivi, Indradru, Indradruma, Indrasunu, Kakubha, Karaviraka, Karnari, Kaunteya,
Kiriti, Krishnasarathi, Nadisarja, Pandava, Partha, Phalguna, Prithaja, Savyasachi, Shambara,
Shivamallaka, Vairantak, Vira, Virataru, Viravriksha.
A very large tree with a buttressed, spreading base and horizontally spreading branches,
bark pinkish or greenish-white, smooth, flaking off in large flat pieces, young twigs
finely pubescent; leaves simple, opposite or sub-opposite without stipules, 7.5—15 cm long,
4_7 cm broad, oblong or oval-oblong, rounded at both ends, obscurely apiculate, very shallowly
serrate—crenate in the upper part, glabrous but not shining on both sides, pale dull green, veins
arcuate, pellucid, petioles very short, 6—10 mm long with 1 or 2 prominent glands at the top
immediately beneath the leaf; flowers regular, polygamous, sessile, greenish-white strongly
honey scented, in rather lax spikes which are short, axillary or in small terminal panicles;
bracteoles linear—lanceolate, shorter than the flowers, caducous; sepals 5, fused into a tube
adnate to the ovary, limbs nearly glabrous on both sides; petals absent; disc with a few long
white hairs; stamens 10, distinct, five often longer, inserted on the calyx-tube outside the annular
epigynous hairy disc; ovary inferior, unilocular with 2 or 3 pendulous ovules; fruit an indehiscent
drupe, 3.5—5 cm long, obovate-ovoid, somewhat narrowed at base, bluntly pointed, glabrous,
fibrous-woody, with 5, stifT, hard, projecting wings becoming wider upwards and striated with
numerous, much-curved veins, dark brown; seed solitary.
Flowers during April and May.
Illustrations. Beddome, Flor. Sylvat. pi. 28. 1868—73; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med
PI. pi. 414. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya., drawing.
Distribution. Grows throughout the greater part of India and Ceylon. It is very common
along banks of streams in the low-country and in the dry regions in Ceylon; Jaffna, Dam bulla,
Deltota, Minipe, Hambantota, etc.
India. Silhet: Wallich 3979F. Behar: J. D. Hooker. S. Canara; Beddome 306. Pen. Ind
Or., Herb. Wight 1009, Kew Distribution 1866—7. Ceylon. Without locality, Thwaites CP. 1603.
Composition. The bark contains large amounts of the carbonates of calcium and sodium,
tannins, organic acids, an organic ester and sugars but no active principles of the nature of
alkaloids, glucosides, essential oils, etc.
Uses. A decoction of the bark is used to wash ulcers and is taken internally for bilious
affections and as an antidote to poisons. The juice of the leaves is a remedy for earache. For
fractures and contusions, with excessive ecchymosis, powdered bark is given internally with milk.
In Ceylon, preparations with the bark are administered for diseases of the heart and lungs
and for fractures and contusions.
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