Soymida Febrifuga
Family : Meliaceae
Common Name : Indian Redwood, Bastard Cedar
English Name : Indian Redwood, Bastard Cedar
Hindi Name : Rohan
Telugu Name : Cevamanu, Cheramaanu
Bengali Name : Rohan,Rohina
Tree Characteristics :
Indian Redwood is a huge tree bearing deciduous foliage and having a tough bark exfoliating in plates or scales. The compound leaves are crowded at the ends of branches. Leaflets are 3 to 6, elliptic or oblong, entire. The greenish white flowers are borne in large clusters. Fruit is a woody capsule. The wood is hard and is used for various purposes. Fruits of the Indian-redwood are very common ingredients in imported potpourri.
Nursery Practice :
It can be raised better by directly sowing of the seed, or by planting out seedlings from a nursery. As it is very slow growing, (2.5 to 5 cms in first year), it is not a much preferred species. As it is drought resistant, it can be tried in drought prone areas. No. of seeds per Kg is 9,880 to 13,340; Germination percentage is 28 to 51 and the Germination period 10 to 21 days. Pretreatment - Soaking the seed in cold water for 24 hours.
Economic Use:
Part used is Bark. Aphrodisiac, anthelmintic; Bark: antipyretic, astringent, antidiarrhoel, antidysenteric and bitter tonic. Particularly prescribed in malaria, cures hoarseness, applied to rheumatic swelling and used as a gargle in stomatitis, decoction used as vaginal douche in leucorrhoea.
The heartwood is a very dark red-brown, the sapwood is thin and whitish. The wood is close-grained; extremely hard; very durable. It is suitable for house building, furniture, pestles, grain mills, carving etc.
It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, and is also often used as a febrifuge instead of quinine (Cinchona spp.) by local people.
It is said to be an efficient remedy for the dangerous jungle fever of India, when quinine produces no effect.
