Chionanthus mala-elengi (Dennst.) P.S.Green

 

         Scientific Name: Chionanthus mala-elengi (Dennst.) P.S.Green

Family: Oleaceae

 

Synonym: Forsythia mala-elengi Dennst.

Vernacular name: Kaletala,Mala Elengi,Perumba

Habit: Small trees

Habitat: often in forests, woodlands, or along riverbanks. The plant prefers moist, well-drained soils and can tolerate both partial shade and full sunlight.

Distribution: Peninsular India; in the Western Ghats- throughout.

Flowering and Fruiting: November-April

Key identification features: Moderate-sized evergreen tree with a compact crown; bark light-grey, smooth, and lenticellate. Leaves coriaceous, lanceolate to obovate or elliptic-oblong, glabrous, shining with an acute apex, bluntly acuminate. Flowers white, fragrant, in cymose fascicles. Drupe bluish with thin endocarp.

Tribal Consumers: Adiya

Uses: Chionanthus mala-elengi is cherished for its fragrant flowers, which are often used in traditional medicine and for ornamental purposes in gardens. The tree's bark and leaves have medicinal properties, being used to treat ailments such as coughs and skin infections.