Distribution: Native of Tropical America.

Botany: Deciduous tree to 20 m. 

• Leaves:  Alternate, oblong lanceolate, entire, glabrous.
• Flowers: Large, rose-pink with strong smell in long racemes proceeding from the upper part of trunk or from main branches. Sepals 6, Petals 6, broad, yellow outside, pink inside, veined, when broken turns from white to blue on exposure. Stamens fused in to 2 unequal bundles, forming a hood over ovary.
• Fruit: Cannon-ball like, having an unpleasant smell when ripe.         

Properties: Antifungal, cytotoxic, anti inflammatory, anti pyretic

Chemical constituents:  α-amirin, β-amirin, β-sitosterol, nerol, tryptanthrine, indigo, indirubin, isatin, linoleic acid, isatin 

Uses: Leaf juice is used in promoting hair growth. 

Propagation: seed