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Indian Tulip Tree
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Indian Tulip Tree
ative Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Indian tulip tree, Aden apple, Portia tree • Assamese: পৰশ পিপল paras pipal • Bengali: পরশপিপুল paraspipul • Gujarati: પારસપીપળો paraspiplo • Hindi: पारस पीपल paras pipal • Kachchhi: પારસપીપળો paraspiplo • Kannada: ಅಡವಿಬೆಂಡೆ ಮರ Adavi bende mara, ಆಶ ಆಶಾ Asha, ಬಂಗಾಳಿ Bangali, ಬುಗುರಿ Buguri, ಹೂವರಸಿ ಮರ Huvarasi mara, ಕಂದರೊಳ Kandarola, ಜೋಗಿಯರಳೆ Jogiyarale • Konkani: भेंडी bhendi, व्हडली खारीकापुसी vhadli kharikapusi • Malayalam: പൂവരശ്ശ് puvarassu, പൂപ്പരുത്തി pupparutti • Marathi: आष्ट aashta, भेंड bhend, भेंडी वृक्ष bhendi vruksh, पारोसा पिंपळ parosa pimpal • Odia: ହବାଲି habali, ହାବାଳି hawali, ପାରୀଶ parisa • Punjabi: ਪਾਰਸ ਪੀਪਲ paras pipal • Sanskrit: चारुदारु charudaru, छायावृक्ष chayavrksha, गर्दभाण्डक gardabhandaka, कपीतन kapitana, क्षिप्रपाकिन् kshiprapakin, पारिश parisha, पार्श्वपिप्पल parshvapippala, फलीश phalisha, प्लक्ष plaksha, सुपार्श्व suparshva • Tamil: அரசன்விரோதி aracan-viroti, சீலாந்தி cilanti, கல்லால் kal-l-al, மகாநிம்பம் maka-nimpam, மண்ணிலவேந்தன் mannila-ventan, பீரம் piram, பித்தரோசனம் pitta-rocanam, பூளம் pulam, பூப்பருத்தி pu-p-parutti, புற்போதி pur-poti • Telugu: గంగరావి gangaravi,గంగరేణి gangareni • Tulu: ಜೋಗಿ ಮರ jogi mara • Urdu: پارس پيپل paras pipal Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Thespesia populnea      Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Synonyms: Hibiscus populneus, Abelmoschus acuminatus, Hibiscus blumei
This is a good tree for small gardens or patios. Its name Thespesia means "divinely decreed" and was given by Daniel Solander who saw it in Tahiti as a member of Captain Cook's ship. Indian tulip tree is an evergreen bushy tree. It grows to 40 ft or more with a spread of 10–20 ft. It has heart-shaped leaves and cup-shaped yellow flowers that are produced intermittently throughout the year in warm climates. Each flower has a maroon eye that ages to purple. The flowers are followed by apple-shaped fruit.
Medicinal uses: Ground up bark is used to treat skin diseases (India), dysentery and haemorrhoids (Mauritius) Leaves are applied to inflamed and swollen joints (South India) When cut, the young fruit secretes a yellow sticky sap used to treat ringworm and other skin diseases (South India) Roots are used as a tonic. There is some modern investigation of the plant's effects on high blood pressure.
Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in New Delhi
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