Ironwood Tree (Latin name, Mesua ferrea) is a medium sized tree found in the eastern Himalayas, east Bengal and
Assam up to an altitude of 1,500 m. It is also grown in gardens. The tree has evergreen leaves, brown bark, and almost rectangular fruits that contain 1 to 4 seeds. The flowers are large, white, and fragrant. The fruits are ovoid, nearly woody. The seeds, dark brown, consist of a fixed oil. Its hard pericarp contains tannin.
Nagapushpa and Keshara are its popular regional name. The reddish yellow stamens are fragrant, and have an important medicinal value for excessive uterine bleeding. The volatile oil from the flowers has antibacterial, antifungal and anthelmintic properties. It shows significant anti-inflammatory and styptic activity.
