Family: Sterculiaceae

Synonym:Sterculia ornata Wall. ex Kurz 

Bengali/Vernacular name:Udal.

Tribal name: Udul pata (Chakma); Langowi (Khumi); Umak (Garo); Tloe-stey (Khasia); Baro ujal, Chambai, Fi yo ba (Marma); Sambeing, Tia sing, Ya sing (Murang); Guiza (Pangkhoa); Ambuk, Naichini udal (Tripura).

English name: Hairy sterculia, Elephant rope tree.

Description of the plant: A small to medium-sized deciduous tree, 10-15 m tall. Leaves simple, crowded at the ends of branchlets when young, 30-40 cm long, cordate at the base, 5-7 lobed, each lobe again 3-lobed, lobes oblong, blade 30-45 cm across. Flowers pinkish-yellow, in crowded drooping panicles from the end of thick shoots. Fruit a follicle, 3-5, oblong, sessile, leathery, rusty pubescent, many seeded red when ripe; seed 3-5, oblong, smooth, black.

Plant parts used: Leaf, bark, root.

Herbal uses: Cottonseed-sized pills made with the roots of the plant are taken six times a day (one pill each time) for seven days to treat fever (high).

Infusion of barks is given to treat seminal weakness.

Pea-sized pills made with the roots of the plantare taken once a day (one pill each time) for seven days to treat spermatorrhoea.

Decoction prepared from the roots of the plant is taken once a day (20 ml amount each time) for 30 days to treat gastric ulcer.

Infusion prepared from the leaves of the plant, after adding little amount of honey it is taken once a day (50 ml amount) for one week to treat impotence.

Pea-sized pills made with the roots of the plant are taken thrice a day (one pill each time) for two weeks to treat jaundice.

Distribution: It is common in the forests of Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar districts, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It is also found in the Dhaka-Mymensingh Sal forests, and in homesteads, particularly in Chittagong region.

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

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