36. Bocagea Dalzelii, Hk. f. and Thoms.

The medicinal plant Bocagea Dalzelii is a member of the Annonaceae (custard apple) family. This page includes its habitat, botanical descption, medicinal uses (eg., Ayurveda), chemical constituents and history of use in modern and ancient India.

Index in Flora of British India (Hooker): 1. 92.

Synonyms:—Sageraea laurina, Dalz.

Vernacular:—Sajeri. Kochrik. Harkinjal (Marathi). Audi (Bombay).

Habitat:—Forests of the Konkan and Travancore.

Botanical description:—A middle-sized, evergreen, glabrescent tree.

Leaves: shining, coriaceous, thick, 5-9 by 1½-2 in., narrow, oblong, acute or obtuse; base rounded or acute.

Petiole: ¼ in.

Flowers: white, 2-sexual, ¼-⅓ in. diam; crowded in fascicles of 1-15 on woody tubercles.

Pedicels: ¼-⅓ in.

Bracteoles: several, scaly basal.

Sepals: orbicular, distinct, slightly imbricate; outer petals ½ in. broad, ovate, larger but not twice the size of the inner.

Stamens: 12-18; anther-cells contiguous, outer stamens sometimes without anthers.

Ripe carpels: nearly sessile, 1 in. diam., globose, glabrous usually containing about 2 matured seeds.

Medicinal uses:—In the Konkan the leaves are used for fomentation by the natives. They have a pungent, astringent and bitter taste. (Dym. Pharm. Ind. Vol. I. P. 46).