Ironwood (Memecylon umbellatum)

Ironwood (Memecylon umbellatum Burm.f.), also called Delek air tree, is a tropical tree belonging to the order Myrtales and the family Memecylaceae. The tree with its cute deep blue flower clusters is native to India and Sri Lanka , but nowadays widely spread throughout South-East Asia. The decorative tropical tree can reach heights of about 14 meters. Ironwood (Memecylon umbellatum) has been primarily described by the Dutch botanist Nicolaas Laurens Burman (1734–1793). The hard and resistant timber is used for the construction of buildings and boats, leaves, fruits and roots of ironwood are used in asian nature medicine as a treatment for conjunctivitis, gonorrhea, leucorrhoea and diarrhea and as the leaves contain a yellow dye, they are traditionally used by Buddhist monks for colouring their robes. Single ironwood flowers reach a size of just about 1 cm. Flowering period: March - April.

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Image: Ironwood (Memecylon umbellatum)

© Orchids-Flowers.com
Image: Ironwood (Memecylon umbellatum)