Lagerstroemia speciosa

{{short description|Species of plant}}

{{use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{more footnotes needed|date=March 2014}}

{{speciesbox

|image = jarul.jpg

|image_caption = Flowers on a tree in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

|genus = Lagerstroemia

|species = speciosa

|authority = (L.) Pers.

|synonyms = * Adambea glabra Lam.

  • Lagerstroemia augusta Wall. nom. inval.
  • Lagerstroemia flos-reginae Retz.
  • Lagerstroemia macrocarpa Wall. nom. inval.
  • Lagerstroemia major Retz.
  • Lagerstroemia munchausia Willd.
  • Lagerstroemia plicifolia Stokes
  • Lagerstroemia reginae Roxb.
  • Munchausia speciosa L.

|synonyms_ref = [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2353907 Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. — The Plant List]

}}

Lagerstroemia speciosa (giant crepe-myrtle, Queen's crepe-myrtle, banabá plant, or pride of India, or "Queen's Flower" or "Jarul"{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=NoOWDwAAQBAJ&dq=Lagerstroemia+speciosa+(giant+crepe-myrtle,+Queen%27s+crepe-myrtle)&pg=PA197|last1=Swaminathan|first1=M.S.|last2=Kochar|first2=S.L.|title=Major Flowering Trees of Tropical Gardens|year=2019|page=197|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-108-48195-3}}"[http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LASP Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. pride of India]." PLANTS Profile, United States Department of Agriculture / Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved 2008-07-15.) is a species of Lagerstroemia native to tropical southern Asia. It is a deciduous tree with bright pink to light purple flowers.{{Cite web|title=Lagerstroemia speciosa (Giant Crape Myrtle, Queen's Crape Myrtle) {{!}} North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox|url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lagerstroemia-speciosa/|access-date=2021-11-01|website=plants.ces.ncsu.edu}}

The name "Queen's Flower" is derived from the specific epithet 'reginae' or 'flosreginae', which means "imperial or flower of the queen". The tree bears beautiful attractive flowers in profusion in purple, lilac or pinkish-violet colours, and lasts for many months. Its timber is next only to teak in its strength. It is called Queen Crape myrtle as its flowers look like delicate crêpe paper.

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet {{lang|la|speciosa}} means 'beautiful'.{{cite web|url=https://dictzone.com/latin-english-dictionary/speciosa|title=Speciosa meaning in English|access-date=3 July 2024}}

Names

The names in English and other languages are as under:{{Cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=j98iEAAAQBAJ&dq=Lagerstroemia+speciosa+(giant+crepe-myrtle,+Queen%27s+crepe-myrtle)+vernacular+names&pg=PA43| last=Khatri|first=Vikas|title=Herbal Cure – Medicinal Plants that heal naturally| year=2020|page =43|publisher=V&S Publishers| isbn=978-93-5057-184-2}}

  • {{langx|as|এজাৰ}} ({{transliteration|as|Ezar}})
  • {{langx|bn|জারুল (Jarul)}}
  • {{langx|my|ပျဉ်းမ}} ({{transliteration|my|Pyinma}})
  • English: Pride of India, Queen Crepe Myrtle.
  • {{langx|hi|जरुल}} ({{transliteration|hi|Jarul}})
  • {{langx|id|Bungur}}
  • {{langx|kn|Hole dasavala}}
  • {{langx|pam|Mitla}}
  • Khmer: ត្របែកព្រៃ (Trobaek Prey)
  • {{langx|ms|Bungor raya}} (بوڠور راي)
  • {{langx|ml|മണിമരുത്,പൂമരുത്}}
  • {{langx|mr|ताम्हण}} ({{transliteration|mr|Tamhan}}), {{lang|mr|जारुळ}} ({{transliteration|mr|Jarul}}), {{lang|mr|मोठा बोंडारा}} ({{transliteration|mr|Motha Bondara}})
  • {{langx|tl|Banaba}}
  • {{langx|ta|கதலி (மலர் or Kadali)}}
  • {{langx|te|Manimaruthu}}
  • {{langx|th|อินทนิล}} ({{transliteration|th|Inthanin}})
  • {{langx|vi|Bằng lăng nước}}

Growth

Image:Lagerstroemia speciosa at Kepong Botanical Garden, Taman Ehsan (221030).jpg, Malaysia.]]

It is a small to medium-sized to large tree growing to {{convert|15|m}} tall, with an attractive symmetrical crown having a short bole or trunk with smooth, flaky light grey or cream-coloured bark. The leaves are simple, deciduous, oval to elliptic with stout petiole, {{convert|8|-|15|cm|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|3|-|7|cm|abbr=on}} broad, with an acute apex. The flowers are produced in erect panicles {{convert|20|-|40|cm|abbr=on}} long, each flower with six white to purple petals {{convert|2|-|3.5|cm|abbr=on}} long. It has simple leaves with, glabrous, large, elliptic or oblong lanceolate.

The fruits are ellipsoid or sub-globose woody capsules. They are green at first, but later turn brown and finally black. The fruits hang on to the trees. It is easily raised through seeds. It grows best on rich deep alluvial loams and prefers warm, humid and moist soils and can withstand water logging.

Flowering occurs 3–5 years after planting and the main flowering season is April–June with a second flush in July–August. The fruits ripen in November–January. p. 198

Cultivation and uses

{{more citations needed section|date=October 2011}}

It is grown in South East Asia, China India, Bangladesh and the Philippines and even extends to Australia. It is native to India particularly in the western ghats of India covering Belgaum, north and south Kanara, Malabar and Travancore and also in Assam and West Bengal. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas.The leaves of the banabá and other parts are used widely in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan as a tea preparation. Banabá herb is one of the 69 herbal plants promoted by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH).

{{cite web |url=http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/publications/rise/r_v14n2.pdf |title=Propagation Management Of Herbal and Medicinal Plants|year=2002|author=Eduardo B. Principe and Aurora S. Jose|series=Research Information Series On Ecosystems| volume=14| issue=2

|access-date=25 January 2013 }} {{dead link|date=June 2016}} In Vietnam, the plant's young leaves are consumed as vegetables, and its old leaves and mature fruit are used in traditional medicine for reducing glucose in blood.{{ cite book | first1=Yoshitaka | last1=Tanaka | first2=Nguyen | last2=Van Ke | date=2007 | title=Edible Wild Plants of Vietnam: The Bountiful Garden | publisher=Thailand: Orchid Press | isbn=978-974-524-089-6 | page=90}} The seeds have narcotic properties.{{Cite book |last=Hargreaves |first=Dorothy |title=Tropical Trees of the Pacific |last2=Hargreaves |first2=Bob |publisher=Hargreaves |year=1970 |location=Kailua, Hawaii |page=[https://archive.org/details/tropicaltreesofp00harg/page/16 16]}}

Chemistry

Chemical compounds that have been isolated from the extract include corosolic acid, lager-stroemin, flosin B, and reginin A.{{cite journal | pmc=2176148 | year=2007 | last1=Klein | first1=G. | last2=Kim | first2=J. | last3=Himmeldirk | first3=K. | last4=Cao | first4=Y. | last5=Chen | first5=X. | title=Antidiabetes and Anti-obesity Activity of Lagerstroemia speciosa | journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine | volume=4 | issue=4 | pages=401–407 | doi=10.1093/ecam/nem013 | pmid=18227906 }}

==Medicinal uses==

Giant Crape Myrtle's seeds are narcotic, bark and leaves are purgative, roots are astringent, stimulant and febrifuge (fever removing). Decoction of leaves is used in diabetes. In Manipur, its fruit is used locally applied for apathy of the mouth

Recognition

Pride of India or Tāmhan in Marathi is recognised as the state flower of the state of Maharashtra in India.{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlinesaraswati.com/en/Maharashtra-State-Symbols.php|title=Maharashtra State Symbols|website=www.onlinesaraswati.com|access-date=2019-10-17}}

In Hindu mythology, it is said that worshipping Lord Brahma results in blossoming of these flowers of Giant Crape Myrtle and Banaba tree and as such it brings prosperity to the house.{{Cite web|url=https://stylenrich.com/queens-flower-benefits/|last=Samantaray|first= Anamika|title=Health Benefits Of Queen Flower Plant!|date=15 December 2020|publisher=StylEnrich.com}}

In Buddhism

In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi by the eleventh Buddha ("Paduma – පදුම"), and the twelfth Buddha (Naarada – නාරද)t. The plant is known as මුරුත (Murutha) in Sinhala and Mahaasona – මහාසොණ in Sanskrit.

Gallery

Image:Fruit, leaves & Drongo I IMG 5962.jpg|Fruit, leaves & black drongo (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Image:Flowers & leaves I IMG 1864.jpg|Flowers and leaves (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Image:Dried Fruits I IMG 1380.jpg|Dried fruits (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Image:Dried Fruit I IMG 3279.jpg|Dried fruits (Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Image:Lagerstroemia Speciosa.JPG| Flowering small tree (Narsingdi, Bangladesh)

Image:Banaba Flower (Lagerstroemia speciosa).jpg|Inflorescence close up (Camarines Sur, Philippines)

File:Lagerstroemia speciosa shrubs.jpg|Young plants in polybags (Thrissur, Kerala, India)

Image:Lagerstroemia Speciosa Tree.jpg|Lagerstroemia Speciosa Tree Malda, West Bengal,India

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 3: 10.