Mesua ferrea

In the Indian subcontinent, Mesua ferrea is known by various vernacular names. In Hindi and Sanskrit, it is called Nagkesar (नागकेसर). In Tamil, it is known as Vagai (வாகை); in Telugu, Nagakesaramu (నాగకేశరము); in Kannada, Nagakesara (ನಾಗಕೇಸರ); in Malayalam, Naagappoo (നാഗപ്പൂ); and in Bengali, Nagkeshar (নাগকেশর).{{cite book |last=Warrier |first=P. K. |title=Indian Medicinal Plants: A Compendium of 500 Species |volume=4 |publisher=Orient Longman |year=1995 |pages=253–254 |isbn=978-8125015821}}{{cite book |last=Nadkarni |first=K. M. |title=Indian Materia Medica |volume=1 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=2002 |pages=798–799 |isbn=978-8171548194}}

The species was first published in Carl Linnaeus's book Species Plantarum on page 515 in 1753.{{cite web |title=Mesua ferrea'' L. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:428832-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |access-date=16 November 2023 |language=en}}

Mesua ferrea is a complex species and had been split into several species and varieties.{{cite web |title=Mesua ferrea L. – Clusiaceae |url=http://www.biotik.org/india/species/m/mesuferr/mesuferr_en.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001052/http://www.biotik.org/india/species/m/mesuferr/mesuferr_en.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |access-date=2012-12-06 |publisher=biotik.org}} A.J.G.H. Kostermans and Gunatilleke et al. call the tree described in this article Mesua nagassarium.{{cite book |last=Kostermans |first=A.J.G.H. |title=A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon |year=1980 |editor1-last=Dassanayaka |editor1-first=M.D. |volume=I |location=New Delhi |pages=107–110 |chapter=Clusiaceae (Guttiferae) |editor2-last=Fosberg |editor2-first=F.R.}}{{cite book |last1=Ashton |first1=M |url=http://www.wht.lk/storage/book_downloads/-Trees%20%20Shrubs.pdf |title=A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka |last2=Gunatilleke |first2=S |last3=de Zoysa |first3=N |last4=Dassanayake |first4=MD |last5=Gunatilleke |first5=N |last6=Wijesundera |first6=S |year=1997 |location=Colombo |page=140 |access-date=2012-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606141603/http://www.wht.lk/storage/book_downloads/-Trees%20%20Shrubs.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-06 |url-status=dead}} Kostermans lists several subspecies of Mesua nagassarium.

These authors list Mesua ferrea as a separate species, that is endemic to Sri Lanka and is a small, 15 meters high tree that grows near streams and in marshes in the southwest of Sri Lanka, where it is called "Diya Na" in Sinhala, meaning "Water Na Tree". This "Diya Na" is not cultivated. Gunatilleke et al. (p. 139), however, remark in a footnote: "In the most recent revision diya na is named as Mesua thwaitesii and na as Mesua ferrea".

Kostermans and Gunatilleke et al. classify Mesua ferrea in the family Clusiaceae, while in the AgroForestryTree Database it is allocated to the Guttiferae. In Plants of the World Online, and World Flora Online it is in the Calophyllaceae family.{{cite web |title=Mesua ferrea L. |url=https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001296121 |website=worldfloraonline.org |access-date=16 November 2023}}

• Mesua ferrea var. coromandeliana {{au|(Wight) N.P.Singh}}
• Mesua ferrea var. ferrea

File:നാഗപ്പൂവു്.jpg

The tree can grow over {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}} tall, often buttressed at the base with a trunk up to {{convert|2|m|abbr=on}} in diameter. The bark of younger trees has an ash grey color with flaky peelings, while of old trees the bark is dark ash-grey with a red-brown blaze. It has simple, opposite, narrow, oblong to lanceolate, blue-grey to dark green leaves that are {{convert|7–15|cm|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|1.5–3.5|cm|abbr=on}} wide, with a whitish underside. The emerging young leaves are red to yellowish pink and drooping. The branches are slender, terete and glabrous. The bisexual flowers are {{convert|4–7.5|cm|abbr=on}} in diameter, with four white petals and a center of numerous orange yellow stamens. The fruit is an ovoid to globose capsule with one to two seeds.

It is native to wet, tropical parts of Sri Lanka, India, southern Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Philippines, Malaysia and Sumatra, where it grows in evergreen forests, especially in river valleys. In the eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats in India it grows up to elevations of {{convert|1500|m|abbr=on}}, while in Sri Lanka up to {{convert|1000|m|abbr=on}}.

In the dry zone of Sri Lanka, where ironwood trees normally do not grow wild, large, old ironwood trees can be seen around the remains of ancient Buddhist monasteries on rocky hills around Dambulla such as Na Uyana Aranya, Namal Uyana, Na-golla Aranya, Pidurangala near Sigiriya, Kaludiya Pokuna near Kandalama, and Ritigala. They are probably the descendants of trees planted as ornamentals in the monasteries in ancient times during the Anuradhapura period. Older trees form suckers or shoots from the base of the trunk, which become new trees when the old trunk falls down; therefore the bases and roots of some ironwood trees in these sites might be very old.{{cite web|first=Bhikkhu|last=Nyanatusita|url=http://www.bps.lk/library_other_publi.php%20|title=Forest Monasteries and Meditation Centres in Sri Lanka}}

In Theravada Buddhism, this tree is said to have used as the tree for achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi by four past Buddhas: Mangala (මංගල), Sumana (සුමන), Revata (රේවත), and Sobhitha (සෝභිත).

Buddhists believe that the next Buddha Maitreya will also awaken under this tree. In Buddhist texts, it is often called nāgapuṣpa in Sanskrit and (龍華樹 lónghuā shù) in Chinese.{{cite web|url=https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/0/3023#:~:text=Oldest%20man%2Dmade%20forest%20in,tree%2C%20and%20Maitreya%20is%20traditionally|title=NParks Mesua ferrea}}{{cite web|first1=Shōtarō|last1=Iida|first2=Jane|last2= Goldstone|url=https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/the-sutra-that-expounds-the-descent-of-maitreya-buddha-and-his-enlightenment-and-the-sutra-of-manjusris-questions/|title=The Sutra That Expounds the Descent of Maitreya Buddha and His Enlightenment}}

As the English name indicates, the wood of this tree is very heavy, hard and strong. The density is 940 to 1,195 kg/m³ (59 to 75 lb/ft³) at 15% moisture content. The colour is deep dark red. It is hard to saw and is mainly used for railroad ties and heavy structural timber.

In Sri Lanka the pillars of the 14th century Embekke Shrine near Kandy are made of iron tree wood.{{cite web|url=http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?navid=978|title=Sri Lanka: Embekke}}

The flowers, leaves, seeds and roots are used as herbal medicines in India, Malaysia, etc. and in nag champa incense sticks.

In the northeastern state of Assam, India, its seeds used to be used for lighting purpose in evening for day to day purpose (while mustard oil for religious and health and culinary purposes) before the introduction of kerosene by the British.

File:Mesua ferrea leaf.png|alt=Mesua ferrea leaf

File:Mesua ferrea - Young leaves.jpg|alt=Mesua ferrea - Young leaves and flowers.|Young leaves and flowers

File:Mesua ferrea - Young leaves and flowers..jpg|alt=Mesua ferrea - Young leaves and flowers|Young leaves and flowers

File:Mesua ferrea – Young fruit.jpg|alt=Mesua ferrea – Young fruit|Young fruit

File:Mesua ferrea – Ripe fruits.jpg|alt=Mesua ferrea – Ripe fruits|Ripe fruits

• List of Indian timber trees
• Nagkesar seed oil

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• {{cite book |last=Caldecott |first=Todd |year=2006 |title=Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life |publisher=Elsevier/Mosby |isbn=0-7234-3410-7 }} Contains a detailed monograph on Mesua ferrea (Nagakeshara) as well as a discussion of health benefits and usage in clinical practice. Available online at https://web.archive.org/web/20101229121750/http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/312-nagakeshara
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070312182749/http://www.acs.ac.th/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239&Itemid=203 Sriracha College: Mesua ferrea](in Thai; numerous photos)

{{Tripura}}

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ferrea

Category:Flora of tropical Asia

Category:National symbols of Sri Lanka

Category:Symbols of Mizoram

Category:Symbols of Tripura

Category:Plants described in 1753

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Trees in Buddhism