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Shobanjan / Shwet-Marich

Common Names


Sahijan

About    Taxonomy


Click to access the GRIN database record about the specific taxonomical hierarchy (Family, Genus etc.).

CLASSIFICATION


TAXON 


Moringa oleifera Lam.

FAMILY 


Moringaceae Martinov

ALTERNATE FAMILY


nom. cons.

GENUS 


Moringa Adans.

SPECIES


oleifera Lam. Encycl. 1:398. 1785


Plant Description


A large tree, with gummy bark, younger parts pubescent. Leaves alternate, tripinnately imparipinnate, up. to 60 cm long (including 4-15 cm long petiole), deciduous; rachis pubescent, slender, pulvinate and jointed at base; pinnae 5-11, stalk of the pinna 1-3 cm long, articulated at base; pinnules 5-11, petiolule of pinnule 4-8 mm long; rachis of the pinnule articulated with a small rounded gland; leaflets 3-9 (-11), 1-1.75(-2.4) cm long, 0.5-1.8 cm broad, sparsely tomentose above, glabrous below; lateral leaflets elliptic, while terminal obovate and slightly larger; petiolule 1-4 mm long. Inflorescence 8-30 cm long with ovoid buds. Flowers white, c. 2.5 cm across, with 1.3-2.1 cm long pedicel, honey scented. Calyx tube hairy; lobes slightly unequal, petaloid, imbricate, linear to lanceolate 1.3-1.5 cm long, 5-6 mm broad, reflexed, with prominent yellow streaks in the centre, entire, obtuse. Petals white, the anterior erect, others reflexed, ascending imbricate, spathulate with prominent veins, 1.2-1.8 cm long, 5-6 mm broad, acute, entire. Stamens 5, alternating with 5(-7) sterile filaments or sometimes with non func¬tional stamens; filaments villous at base, yellow, stamens 1 cm long, antherless fila¬ments 7 mm long. Ovary oblong, c. 5 mm long; style cylindric, less villous than the ovary. Fruit a 9-ribbed pendulous pod, 30-45 cm long, somewhat tomentose when young. Seeds embedded in the pits of the valves, 3 angled, winged, blackish, rounded.

Flowering Period: Jan.-April.

 

*Description source:  Efloras.org

STUDIES & RESEARCH