''Memecylon umbellatum'', commonly known as ironwood, anjani (Marathi) or alli (Telugu), is a small tree found in India, the Andaman islands and the coastal region of the

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...

. It is also found in Sri Lanka, where it is called ''blue mist'', ''kora-kaha'' (

Sinhala language Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also s ...

) and ''kurrikaya'' (

Tamil language Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of P ...

). The leaves contain a yellow dye, a glucoside, which is used for dyeing the robes of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monks and for colouring reed mats (Dumbara mats). Medicinally, the leaves are said to have anti-

diarrhoea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

l properties.S. R. Kottegoda, Flowers of Sri Lanka, 1994; Colombo:

Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is one of the oldest learned societies in Sri Lanka with a history of over 160 years. It was established on 7 February 1845, paralleling the Royal Asiatic Societ ...

. Historically, this plant was burnt as fuel in the production of

Wootz steel Wootz steel, also known as Seric steel, is a crucible steel characterized by a pattern of bands and high carbon content. These bands are formed by sheets of microscopic carbides within a tempered martensite or pearlite matrix in higher carbon ...

Names

*Botanical Name : Memecylon umbellatum *English : Ironwood *Sinhala : කොරකහ (Korakaha) *Sanskrit : अंजन (Anjan) *Hindi : अंजन (Anjan) *Marathi : अंजनी (Anjani) *Konkani : काळ्यो आंक्र्यो (Kalleo ankrio) *Kannada : ಒಳ್ಳಯ ಕುಡಿ (Ollayakudi) *Telugu : అల్లి (Alli) *Tamil : காயா (Kaya) *Malayalam : കാഞ്ഞാവ് (Kaannaav), കായാമ്പൂ (Kaayaaboo), കാശാവ്‌ (Kasavu)

Description

It is a large shrub or small tree. Its bark and branches are very hard. That is why it is called Ironwood (or possibly because of its important historical role in the production of

). Leaves are

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by Johnn ...

, opposite type. Leaves contain glucose. Flowers are blue coloured and produced in cymose

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s. The fruit is round berry bluish-black in colour. Flowering time is February to March.

References

umbellatum Plants described in 1768 Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman {{Melastomataceae-stub