It is a deciduous tree about 10-18 meters tall found and cultivated throughout India. It can grow on plains and slopes upto a height of 200 meters above the sea level. The bark of the tree is thin, grey, exfoliating in thin irregular flakes. Leaves are light green, simple, many and closely set among the branchelets. Flowers are greenish yellow with male and female flowers separate, but on the same tree.
Fruits are round, fleshy, pale yellow in colour with six obscure vertical furrows.
Properties And Uses a. The root bark is astringent and is useful in stomach ulcers. The bark is useful in gonorrhea, jaundice and diarrhea. The leaves are useful in curing conjunctivitis , inflammation, indigestion, diarrhoea and dysentery. The fruits are sour, astringent, bitter, sweet, cooling, digestive, laxative, anti pyretic, diuretic and tonic.