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Couroupita guianensis Aubl.
The magnificent flowers (known as Nagalingam) have attracted the people religiously in India because the staminal sheath resembles the hood of the King cobra (Naga), a sacred snake, protecting the reduced stigma (Linga of Lord Shiva) and its aroma pushed them to grow it as ornamental tree around the temples.
Vernacular name: State Flower of Puducherry
Bengali: Kaman gola
English: Cannon Ball Tree
Gujarati: Bili
Hindi: Nagalinga, Shivalingi, Tope gola vriksh
Kannada: Lingada mara, Nagalingam
Malayalam: Nagalingam, Nagalingamaram
Marathi: Shivalingam
Tamil: Naagalingam, Nagalingamaram
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom: Plantae – plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants
Subkingdom: Viridiplantae
Infrakingdom: Streptophyta – land plants
Superdivision: Embryophyta
Division: Tracheophyta – vascular plants, tracheophytes
Subdivision: Spermatophytina – spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames
Class: Magnoliopsida
Superorder: Asteranae
Order: Ericales
Family: Lecythidaceae – Brazil-nut
Genus: Couroupita Aubl. – cannonball tree
Species: Couroupita guianensis Aubl. – cannonball tree
Phytogeography: A native of Guyana, but extends over the whole of Central America; also found in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and cultivated elsewhere.
Plant description: This large deciduous tropical tree, 75 feet tall.
Leaves: The leaves, up to 6" long, are simple with serrate margin.
Flowers: It flowers in racemes which is cauliflorus; the yellow, reddish and pink flowers are stunning fragrant. These are 3-5 inches waxy aromatic smelling, pink and dark-red flowers growing directly on the bark of the trunk.
Fruits or seeds: The tree bears, directly on the trunk and main branches, large globose woody fruits; they look like big rusty cannonballs hanging in clusters, like balls on a string. The fruit contains small seeds in a white, unpleasant smelling white jelly, which are exposed when the upper half of the fruit goes off like a cover. The long dangling fruity branches give the tree an unkempt appearance. The hard shells are used to make containers and utensils.
Cannon ball trees usually carry 'CAUTION' signs posted on the trunks to advise people not to stand close to and directly under the fruits as one can get hurt as they drop off by themselves.
Flowering season: March-August
Propagation: Seeds, nodal segments, micropropagation
Parts used: Whole plant
Phytochemical Constituents: Amirins Α; Amirins Β; Carbohydrates; Carotenoids; Eugenol; Fernesol; Fixed oil; Flavanoids; Flavonoids; Glycosides; Indigo; Indirubin; Isatin; Linalool; Linoleic Acid; Nerol; Phenolics; Phytosterols; Quercertin; Saponins; Saponins; Sterols; stigmasterol; Tannins; Tryptanthrine;
Pharmacological actions: Acaricidal; Analgesic; Anthelmintic; Antibacterial; Anticancer; Antidepressant; Antifeedant; Antifertility; Antifungal; Anti-inflammatory; Antimalarial; Antimicrobial; Antinociceptive; Antioxidant; Antiseptic; Apoptotic; Cytotoxicity; Free radical scavenger; Hair tonic; Immunomodulator; Larvicidal; Mosquito repellent; Pupicidal;
Medicinal uses: Cancer; Cold; Headache; Malaria; Mosquitoes; Skin diseases; Stomachache; Toothache; Wound;
Fruit pulp is used to cure headache. Leaf juice is applied externally for hair growth.
Other uses: Cannon ball flowers are considered of special significance in Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu, it is called Nagalingam flower. The sivalingam shape is visible at the center of the flower and snake shaped pollen is the specialty of this flower and it has very good fragrance. This rare flower can be used for Shiva Pooja.
It is grown as an ornamental tree in gardens for its large rosy purple flowers and large globular fruits. Wood is used as fuel.
References
ITIS, 2017, “Couroupita guianensis Aubl.,” Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database, March 13, 2017. [Web Reference]
Vadhyar R.G., “PUDUCHERRY,” Botanical Survey of India, C.G.O. Complex, Salt Lake City, Kolkata. [Web Reference]
Kumar C.S., et al., 2011, “A short review on therapeutic uses of Couroupita guianensis Aubl.,” Int Res J Pharm App Sci; 1(1): 105-108. [Web Reference]
Vimala R.T.V., Sathishkumar G. and Sivaramakrishnan S., 2015, “Optimization of reaction conditions to fabricate nano-silver using Couroupita guianensis Aubl.(leaf & fruit) and its enhanced larvicidal effect,” Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy; 135: 110-115. [Web Reference]
Geetha M., et al., 2004, “Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of Couroupita guianensis Aubl.,” Journal of Natural Remedies; 4(1): 52-55. [Web Reference]
Premanathan M., et al., 2012, “Antioxidant & anticancer activities of isatin (1H-indole-2, 3-dione), isolated from the flowers of Couroupita guianensis Aubl.,” The Indian journal of medical research; 136(5): 822-826. [Web Reference]
Subramaniam J., et al., 2016, “Multipurpose effectiveness of Couroupita guianensis-synthesized gold nanoparticles: high antiplasmodial potential, field efficacy against malaria vectors and synergy with Aplocheilus lineatus predators,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research; 23(8): 7543-7558. [Web Reference]
Geetha M., et al., 2005, “Antifertility activity of Artabotrys odoratissimus Roxb. and Couroupita guianensis Aubl.,” Journal of Natural Remedies; 5(2):121-125. [Web Reference]
Shekhawat M.S. and Manokari M., 2016, “In vitro propagation, micromorphological studies and ex vitro rooting of cannon ball tree (Couroupita guianensis aubl.): a multipurpose threatened species,” Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants; 22(1): 131-142. [Web Reference]
Chinnamani T., Sivakami R. and Jeyasankar A., 2016, “Antifeedant, larvicidal and growth regulatory activities of fractions isolated from ethyl acetate extract of Pseudocalymma alliaceum against Spodoptera litura Fabricius and Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidotera: Noctuidae),” Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci; 3(9): 98-107. [Web Reference]