Mitragyna parvifolia
(Roxb.) Korth.
Rubiaceae
Nauclea parvifolia Roxb.
Nauclea parvifolia Willd.
Stephegyne parvifolia (Roxb.) Korth.
Common Name: Kaim
Cultivated tree at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Calcutta
Photograph by: Biswarup Ganguly
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Cultivated tree at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Calcutta
Photograph by: Biswarup Ganguly
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Leaves with young growth
Photograph by: Vinayaraj
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Fruiting branch
Photograph by: J.M.Garg
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
General Information
Mitragyna parvifolia is a deciduous tree growing up to 27 metres tall[
].
The tree is harvested from the wild - it yields a valuable timber and has local medicinal uses.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
Range
E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Habitat
Deciduous forests, at elevations up to 1,300 metres in the Himalayas[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
,
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Deciduous Tree |
| Height | 20.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,300 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 35°c, but can tolerate 5 - 47°c[
]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 900 - 3,300mm[
].
Young trees withstand shade, whilst older trees are light demanding[
]. Succeeds in wide range of fertile soils[
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[
].
The tree reproduces very sparingly in the wild, but better where the soil has been broken up so that the small seeds can reach the ground without difficulty[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
The flowers are very fragrant[
372- Title
- Flowers of India
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.flowersofindia.net/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The bark and roots are used in the treatment of fevers and colic[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
The light pinkish-brown wood is even-grained, moderately hard and durable if not exposed to the wet[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is easily worked and polishes well. A useful wood, esteemed for many purposes, it is used in construction, furniture making, agricultural implements, combs, cups, spoons, plates and for turned and carved articles[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
Propagation
Seed. The plant is difficult to propagate in the nursery[
146- Title
- A Manual of Indian Timbers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Gamble. J. S.
- Publisher
- Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
