Indian Saraka (Latin: Saraca indica) is a typical species of plants of the genus Saraka (Saraca) of the Legume family (Fabaceae) – an evergreen medium-sized tree with paired cirrus leaves.
First described by Carl Linnaeus in the second edition of Mantissa Plantarum, specimens of this species came to Europe from the island of Java.
In some sources, the name Saraca indica was mistakenly used by a closely related species of Ashoka (Saraca asoca), an inaccuracy first appeared in a publication in 1869.
Indian differs from Ashoka Saraka in other details of the flower structure, a slightly smaller number of pods, and to the east located area.
Indian Saraka is an evergreen, slow-growing tree, up to 10 meters tall, with a rough, gray-brown bark.
The leaves are paranoid elliptic, oblong, up to 20 cm long, slightly shiny. Young leaves drooping, soft, pink-red.
The flowers are fragrant, very large, bright, yellow-orange, becoming over time saturated orange, collected in panicled inflorescences.
Pods are reddish brown, up to 20 centimeters long, flat, elongated, slightly curved.
Grows in India, Burma, Vietnam, Ceylon, Malaysia.
Chemical composition
Flowers contain: β-sitosterol, flavonoids, flavonoids glycosides, anthocyanins, fatty oil.
The bark contains: catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin, leukocyanidin, deoxyprocyanidin, leukopelargonidine; linolenic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids; flavonols kempferol, quercetin, apigenin, pelargonidine.
Seeds contain: oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic acids, catechin, epicatechol and leukocyanidin.
Quercetin-3-O-α-L’ramnoside, kempferol-3-O-α-L’ramnoside, amirin, ceryl and β-sitosterol were found in leaves and stems.
For medical purposes, a greenish-brown bark is used, containing 5-8% tannins, iron-containing organic compounds, calcium salts, saponins, ketosterols.
Indian bark Saraki is used in Asian medicine and the UK as a tonic, antirheumatic agent, for skin diseases, astringent, for dyspepsia, hemorrhoids, for menstrual irregularities.
Pharmacological activity is due to the steroid fraction, calcium salts, tannins.
Included in the Suhasini Ultra.