An evergreen tree or shrub, 6-8.5 m tall. Leaves dark green above, orbicular, elliptic oblong, 12.5 cm x 5 cm, coriaceous, glabrous above; flowers white, turning yellow, fragrant, in axillary, simple or compound racemes; drupes purplish black, subcylindric, smooth, 1-3 seeded.

Anti-inflammatory and hypothermic (stem bark)

Herbal Monograph

Loturine, loturidine and colloturine; betulin (stem bark); betulinic acid (plant)

Diarrhoea and dysentery, liver complaints and dropsy, to stop bleeding of gums, it is used also in ophthalmia and conjunctivitis (bark). In combination with sugar it is recommended in the treatment of menorrhagia and other uterine disorders

Sharma PV. Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.