11
Aphanamixis
polystachya (Wall.) Parker
Synonym : Amoora rohituka (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.
Family
: Meliaceae
Local
Names :
Chemmaram,
Karakil, Rohituka tree
Flowering and
fruiting period:
January-December
Distribution: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka
Habitat: Evergreen, semi-evergreen and
shola forests, also in sacred groves
IUCN status: Least Concern
Endemic:
No
Uses: The bark is astringent. It is
used in the treatment of spleen and liver diseases, tumours and abdominal
complaints. The bark is used for a remedy for rheumatism, colds and chest
pains. The oil from the seed is used as a liniment in the treatment of
rheumatism. The oil obtained from the seed is used for illumination, making
soap and as a lubricating oil. Called rohituka oil, it has a camphor-like
scent. Mashed leaves in a water solution are an effective antifeedant, able to
protect crops against insect pests. The very fine wood is used for construction
and ship-making, and is suitable for furniture.
Key Characters: Evergreen trees, to 20 m high, bark reddish-brown mottled
with green. Leaves imparipinnate, alternate, crowded at the end of branchlets. Flowers
polygamodioecious, white; sepals
5, orbicular, thick; petals 3, white, orbicular; ovary superior, ovoid; stigma
3-lobed, subsessile. Fruit a capsule, yellow or purplish.