Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. 1810, commonly called Devil Tree, Indian Devil Tree, Blackboard Tree, White Cheesewood or Milkwood Pine, is an evergreen tropical tree, native to the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia.

Alstonia scholaris reaches heights up to about 40 meters and belongs to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). In popular imagination in India the tree is considered as a place of abode of the devil. The father of modern taxonomy, the Swedish botanist Carl von Linnaeus (1707-1778) primarily described and named the Devil Tree as Echites scholaris L. 1767, which is the basionym. Scottish botanist Robert Brown (1773-1858) established the genus Alstonia, named in honour to the Scottish botanist Charles Alston (1685–1760) and shifted Echites scholaris to the new genus. As the timber of the tropical tree is not very stable, soft and light it has been used to make coffins and blackboards for school children, so it got the species name scholaris, which means, belonging to a school. Flowers of Alstonia scholaris are highly fragrant, whith a sweet, pleasant scent. Flowering period: Autumn.

All parts of the tree are poisonous, but are used in natural medicine. The bark, called Ditabark, is used in Ayurveda to treat Malaria, epilepsy, skin diseases and asthma. The milky sap is used to cure ulcers. The Devil Tree (Alstonia scholaris) is easily confused with the Pulai tree (Alstonia angustiloba), which looks quite similar, but leaves and flowers of Alstonia scholaris are bigger.

Flower Photography © Orchids Flowers.com
Image: Devil Tree (Alstonia scholaris)

Flower Photography © Orchids Flowers.com
Image: Devil Tree (Alstonia scholaris)