Ailanthus triphysa (Dennst.) Alston

 Family - Simaroubaceae

Synonym - Adenanthera triphysa ,Ailanthus fauveliana, Ailanthus imberbiflora ,Ailanthus imberbiflora var. macartneyi, Ailanthus kurzii 

Vernacular names - Matti, Mattipala, Pongallyam, Perumaram, Pongilium

Habit - Tree

Habitat - Semi-evergreen forests, also planted in the plains

Distribution - Indo-Malesia and Australia

Flowering and Fruiting - January-May

Key Identification Features - These lofty deciduous trees, with smooth grey bark and pale yellow blaze, reach up to 30 meters in height. Their leaves are clustered toward the branch apex, featuring oblong-ovate or elliptic leaflets. The greenish-yellow flowers occur in axillary panicles, and the fruit is reddish-brown samara with prominent veining.

Uses - It is a Medicinal plant

Samadera indica Gaertn.

 

Family: Simaroubaceae

Synonym: Quassia indica (Gaertn.) Noot. 

Vernacular name: Karinjotta, Njotta

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Along backwaters and moist deciduous forests

Distribution: India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka

Flowering and Fruiting: January-July

Key identification features: The evergreen tree or shrub reaches heights of up to 10 m, characterized by its elliptic-oblong. Its flowers bloom in umbelliform clusters. Stamens are 8. The fruit, a drupe.

Uses: The bark and wood are stomachic, emmenagogue, febrifuge tonic. The seed oil is astringent, acrid, thermogenic, depurative, emetic, purgative and febrifuge.

Simarouba glauca DC.

 

Family: Simaroubaceae

Synonym: Quassia glauca (DC.) Spreng. 

Vernacular names: Paradise-tree

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Dry Broadleaf Evergreen

Distribution: Native of Tropical America.

Flowering and fruiting: December-February

Key identification feature: These medium-sized trees have alternating leaves, odd or even pinnate, with 5-7 pairs of glossy, oblong leaflets. Terminal panicles bear small, greenish-yellow flowers with a hairy disc and 10 stamens. The ovoid fruit has a glossy purple skin and contains one seed.

 Uses: Its seeds produce an edible oil, drastic improvement from various conditions such as gastritis from Helicobacter pylori, acidity, rheumatoid arthritis.