It was indigenous to Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Malay Peninsula to Australia. It was introduced to India and grown in gardens and parks as an ornamental plant.

It is an evergreen tree of small or moderate size with pendulous branches, sometimes attaining a height of 21 m. and a girth up to 1.5 m. The Bark is white, soft, spongy, peeling off in elongated papery flakes; leaves oblong-elliptic, gland-dotted; flowers small, creamy white, in more or less interrupted elongate spikes; capsules small, globular or hemispheric, woody; the seeds numerous, obovoid or cuneate, very small.

Ursolic acid isolated from chloroform extract and piceatannol and oxyresveratrol from methanalic extract, are identified as active compounds¹.

The Essential oil exhibited anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antifebrile, antibacterial and expectorant activities. It has anti-dandruff activity.

No adverse effect was reported on usage of this plant.

It acts as an anthelmintic. It is also effective against lice.

1. Chem. Pharm. Bull., 1991, 39, 3276.