Scientific name: Parkinsonia aculeata L.

Family: Caesalpiniaceae

Synonym: Parkinsonia thornberi M.E.Jones

Bengali/Vernacular name: Belatibabla, Belari kikar, Nabina.

English name: Jerusalem thorn, Mexican palo verde, Horse bean.

Description of the plant: A fast growing, thorny bush or small tree, up to 4 m tall. Leaves alternate, bipinnate, stipulate, stipules 2, forming short spines, rachis broad, pinnae 2-4 pairs, leaflets tiny, linear to linear-oblanceolate. Inflorescence of axillary racemes, up to 30 cm long; flowers bright yellow, tubular orange center. Fuit a slender, irregularly torulose pod, yellowish to dark brown.

Parkinsonia aculeata

Plant parts used: Leaf.

Ethnomedicinal uses: Decoction prepared from the leaves of the plant is given for the treatment of fever, arthritis, and malaria.

The leaves of the plant are used as traditional medicine by the local population and traditional healers for the treatment of hyperglycaemia.

The leaves of the plant are used to treat epilepsy and stop vomiting.

Distribution: It occurs in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sundarban, also reported as planted at Lawachara in Maulvi Bazar districts.

Is this plant misidentified? If yes, please tell us….

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