Synonyms: 

Crateva brownii Korth. ex Miq.

Crateva hansemannii K. Schum.

Systematic Position

Kingdom:  Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Order: Capparales

Family: Capparaceae

Native: Indo-China

Common Names

English – Spider Tree

Malayalam – നീർമാതളം

Description: 

Trees that grow up to 10m in height, bark surface grey, smooth, longitudinally wrinkled. Leaves alternate, digitately trifoliate; leaflets unequal, ovate, margin entire. Flowers bisexual, creamy white, in terminal corymbs. Sepals 4, free, oblong, adnate to the lobed disc.

Habitat:   Crataeva Religiosa is usually cultivated in Central India

Distribution: India to the Pacific Islands

Uses:  It is a sacred plant and the leaves, bark and root are used as a raw drug in traditional systems of medicine in India, such as Ayurveda, siddha etc. Source of vitamin C, fruits edible, the juice from the bitter stem or root bark is used in decoction for stimulating the appetite or as a digestive, as a laxative against colic and as a febrifuge, the root bark is used to treat urolithiasis, the fresh leaves are rubefacient and tonic, they are applied as a tonic

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