A medium-sized to large evergreen tree with short trunk, often buttressed at the base. The bark is greyish or reddish brown; the leaves are lanceolate, coriaceous, generally covered with a waxy bloom underneath, red when young; the flowers are large, white and fragrant; the fruits are ovoid, nearly woody; the seeds are dark brown.

Astringent, antiinflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial and anthelmintic.

Herbal Monograph
Herb Information
AgroForestryTree Database

Volatile oil, mesuferrone-A and B, mesuaferrol, mesuanic acid, a- and ß-amyrin, betulinic acid and ß-sitosterol.

To treat diarrhoea with blood, hiccough, leucorrhoea for conception and bleeding piles (stamens and flowers), the leaves are applied to the head in the form of a poultice for severe colds, for sores, scabies, wounds, and rheumatism (seed oil), antidote for snake poison (roots), for bleeding hemorrhoids and dysentery with mucus (dried flowers), are also prescribed for excessive thirst, excessive perspiration, cough, and for indigestion (fresh flowers).

Abotifacient

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.