Terminalia Arjuna
Family : Combretaceae
Common Name : Arjun tree
English Name : Arjun
Hindi Name : Arjun, Kahua
Telugu Name : Tellamaddi
Bengali Name : Arjun Gach
Tree Characteristics :
Arjuna is a very large evergreen tree that grows up to 30 metres tall, with occasional specimens up to 60 metres. The buttressed bole can be up to 2.5 metres in diameter. The arjuna is usually found growing on river banks or near dry river beds in Bangladesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and south and central India. years.
Nursery:
Propagation gives best result when seeds are used. The seeds can be collected in early summer from trees that are more than six-year-old. Ripe fruits are collected in March either by lopping the branches or from the ground previously swept clean. The seeds are viable for at least one year when stored in sealed tins.
The pretreated fruits are put in polythene bags in April with half of the fruit above the soil. The germination commence in 8 to 12 days and take about 50 days to complete. The use of pregerminated seeds is preferred to save time and ensure uniform germination. The seedlings are sensitive to drought both at the germination stage and subsequently. 4–10 kg of seeds may be required for raising 1 hectare of plantation at a spacing of 6 m × 6 m. The seeds should be pretreated by soaking them in cool water for 48 hours.
Economic Uses:
The Tree is used in sericulture as host plant to silk worms.
The bark contains 20 - 24% tannin.The fruits also contain tannin. A transparent gum is obtained from the tree.
The heartwood is brown, variegated with darker coloured streaks; the sapwood is reddish-white. The wood is very hard. It is apt to split in seasoning and is not very easy to work. It is used for a number of purposes including the construction of carts and boats, for general construction, agricultural implements and mine props.
Seed is edible. A decoction of the bark with milk is used as a beverage.
The bark of the tree contains a number of medically active ingredients, including tannins, flavonoids, sterols and triterpenoidsaponins. The bark is a cardiac tonic, lowers blood pressure and reduces blood cholesterol levels.
Arjuna is a herb where modern research has fully supported its traditional use for treating heart disease. It is also of value in helping to maintain a steady heart beat.
