Family: MELIACEAE
A deep rooted, broad leafed tree which is usually evergreen but may lose its leaves during drought. A native of the dry forests of India through to Burma, it is potentially among the most valuable of arid land trees. It usually occurs in areas of 450 - 1150 mm average annual rainfall, but will tolerate annual rainfalls as low as 130 mm. It can tolerate long, dry seasons and great heat but is not frost hardy. It will grow on most soils including dry, stony, clay and shallow soils but not seasonally waterlogged soils (where the taproot rots and the tree dies off) or deep dry sands where the water table lies below 18 m. The roots seem to be able to extract nutrients from the most leached of sandy soils. Its optimum soil pH is 6.2 although it will grow well at pH 5, actually bringing soil to a neutral condition by leaf litter. It is not tolerant of saline soils.
The seeds and leaves yield azadarachtin and is used as described for Melia azedarach. The wood is similar to Cuban mahogany and resists decay and insects and is tougher than teak. The tree coppices readily and the poles are straight and strong. It is excellent for construction and furniture making. Termite attack is rare. It is a valuable source of firewood having almost as high a calorific value as coal.
In India it is one of the five trees planted in the sacred grove where it is planted as a companion to mango and Ficus religiosa. There, the leaves are dried and placed in books, grain and clothes to repel insects. The twigs are used as toothbrushes, the bark made into a decoctipn for fevers, nausea, liver complaints and jaundice, or made into a poultice for wounds and skin diseases.
Bark oil is used as a rub for rheumatism while the fruit is steeped or crushed and used for urinary complaints, piles and worms. The fruit is considered a purgative and an emollient. The oil from the seed is rubbed onto the body as a cure for skin diseases.
Propagation is by seed, but the seed is very short lived (2 or 3 weeks). The seedlings are killed by frost and fire and need to be kept free of weeds.