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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.