DRUMSTICK TREE
Family - Moringaceae
Scientific name - Moringa olifera
COMMON NAMES:
1) Also
called Horse-radish.
2) Muga
Soudha in Hindi.
3) Soanjna
in Bengali.
4) Shevga
in Marathi.
5) Midhosaragavo
in Gujarati.
6) Mulaga
in Telugu.
7) Murangakai
in Tamil.
GROWING AREAS:
1) This
tree has its home in the Western Himalayas but is now planted throughout India
and in many other tropical countries.
2) It
grows best in the sandy beds of rivers and streams.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
1) It is a small, delicate, fast-growing deciduous tree with a short life (approximately twenty-five years).
2) It
has a thick grey grooved bark like cork that peels off in patches. The wood is
easily broken and very soft.
LEAVES OF THE DRUMSTICK TREE:
1) The
leaves are shed in December and January and are clear green, rather feathery
looking, with many leaflets on the long leaf-stalk.
FLOWERS OF THE DRUMSTICK TREE:
1) These
are long bunches of small five-petalled flowers, greenish-white in bud, creamy
white when open and yellowish when withering.
2) The
flowers are honey scented and attract many insects.
3) The
main flowering period is March and April but many trees can be seen flowering
from September onwards.
FRUIT OF THE DRUMSTICK TREE:
1) These
ripen in April to June, although there are many trees that bear a few fruit all
the year round.
2) The fruits are long and stick-like, green in colour and often ridged. They contain many seeds, each of which have three wings attached to them.
USES OF THE DRUMSTICK TREE:
1) The
tree is generally useful apart from the wood which rots very fast.
2) The roots are used for making horse-radish sauce (a spicy sauce eaten with meat).
3) The
leaves and flowers are rich in vitamins and are made into curries.
