Sterculia urens

Sterculia urens

Botanical name– Sterculia urens

Common Name – Gum Karaya, Ghost tree

Habit


  • Deciduous tree
  • Medium to Large
  • Moderate growth

Specific Properties

  • Drought tolerant
  • Preferred for soil regeneration and habitat restoration
  • Good to plant on bunds for wind break and green manure
  • Unscientific tapping of gum, illegal commercial exploitation has resulted in critically low abundance and plant is now endangered in some states of India (e.g. the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan)
  • Tapping of gum is banned by Forest Department for about two decades in Madhya Pradesh, India

Ecology

  • Attract lots of Honeybees (flower pollination)
  • Birds feed on seeds

Uses

  • Gum used in pharma, health care, food, cosmetics, paper-textile, composite fibre, leather industries and industrial waste treatment. It is in great demand in global market. Preferred over synthetic polymers due to exceptional properties of gum
  • Gum is used as stabilizer, emulsifier, and thickener in processed foods, baking, and dairy industries as denture adhesive, thickening agent for printing dyes, in cosmetics
  • Gum is laxative and used for treatment of throat infections, constipation, diarrhoea,
  • body swelling, wound healing,
  • Seeds are edible, eaten roasted
  • Fibre from tree is used to make cloth and ropes

Propagation

  • Seeds

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