Butea monosperma

Taxobox
name = "Butea monosperma"

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = In Bangalore, India
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia =
genus = "Butea"
species = "B. monosperma"
binomial = "Butea monosperma"
binomial_authority = (Lam.) Taub.

"Butea monosperma" (syn. "Butea frondosa", "Erythrina monosperma", "Plaso monosperma"; Kinshuk, Palash, Dhak, Flame of the Forest or Parrot Tree), is a species of "Butea" native to tropical southern Asia, from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and western Indonesia.Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?8177 "Butea monosperma"] ] Also known as kesudo in Gujarati

It is a medium sized dry season-deciduous tree, growing to 15 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, with an 8-16 cm petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet 10-20 cm long. The flowers are 2.5 cm long, bright orange-red, and produced in racemes up to 15 cm long. The fruit is a pod 15-20 cm long and 4-5 cm broad.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). "New RHS Dictionary of Gardening". Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.]

It is said that the tree is a form of Agnidev, God of Fire. It was a punishment given to Him by Goddess Parvati for disturbing Hers and Lord Shiva's privacy.

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