Malik ali: basic corrected article for consistency and corrected details

2026-03-16T09:50:28Z

basic corrected article for consistency and corrected details

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-08-29T05:31:51Z

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{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Mahuwa trees in Chhattisgarh.jpg
| genus = Madhuca
| species = longifolia
| authority = ([[J.Konig]]) [[J.F.Macbr.]]
}}

'''''Madhuca longifolia''''' is an Indian [[tropical tree]] found largely in the central, southern, north Indian plains and forests, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is commonly known as '''madhūka''', '''{{lang|hoc|madkam}}''', '''mahuwa''', '''Butter Tree''', '''mahua''', '''mahwa''', '''{{lang|hoc|mohulo}}''', '''Iluppai''' , '''Mee''' or '''vippa chettu'''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Suryawanshi |first1=Yogesh Chandrakant |last2=Mokat |first2=Digambar Nabhu |title=Morphophysiological Seed Variability in Mahua Trees from Western Ghats and Its Impact on Tribal Life |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences |date=1 March 2021 |volume=91 |issue=1 |pages=227–239 |doi=10.1007/s40011-020-01223-w|s2cid=231876956 }}</ref> It is a fast-growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage, and belongs to the family [[Sapotaceae]].<ref>Pankaj Oudhia, Robert E. Paull. Butter tree Madhuca latifolia Roxb. Sapotaceae p827-828. Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts - 2008, J. Janick and R. E. Paull -editors, CABI, Wallingford, United Kingdom</ref> It is adaptable to arid environments, being a prominent tree in tropical mixed deciduous forests in [[India]] in the states of [[Odisha]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Kerala]], [[Gujarat]], [[West Bengal]] and [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="trifed">{{cite web|url=http://trifed.nic.in/productdetails.asp?productid=95&id=prod|title=Product profile, Mahuwa, Trifed, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India|publisher=Trifed.nic.in|access-date=2013-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619085436/http://trifed.nic.in/productdetails.asp?productid=95&id=prod|archive-date=2009-06-19|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Uses==
It is cultivated in warm and humid regions for its oleaginous seeds (producing between 20 and 200 kg of seeds annually per tree, depending on maturity), flowers and wood. The fat (solid at ambient temperature) is used for the care of the skin, to manufacture soap or detergents, and as a vegetable butter. It can also be used as a [[Vegetable oil used as fuel|fuel oil]]. The seed cakes obtained after extraction of oil constitute very good fertilizer. The flowers are used to produce an alcoholic drink in tropical India. This drink is also known to affect animals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myfox8.com/2012/11/07/50-drunken-elephants-ransack-village-in-india-drink-130-gallons-of-moonshine/|title = 50 drunken elephants ransack village in India, drink 130 gallons of moonshine|date = 7 November 2012}}</ref> Several parts of the tree, including the bark, are used for their medicinal properties. It is considered holy by many tribal communities because of its usefulness.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}
[[Image:Madhuca indica (Mahua) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 0068.jpg|190px|thumb|''M. longifolia'' in [[Hyderabad, India]]]]

The leaves of ''Madhuca indica'' (= ''M. longifolia'') are fed on by the moth ''Antheraea paphia'', which produces [[tassar silk]], a form of [[wild silk]] of commercial importance in India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ab598e/AB598E13.htm |title=Non-Wood Forest Products in 15 Countries Of Tropical Asia : An Overview |publisher=Fao.org |access-date=2013-11-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418203749/http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ab598e/AB598E13.htm |archive-date=2014-04-18 }}</ref> Leaves, flowers and fruits are also lopped to feed goats and sheep.<ref>Heuzé V., Tran G., Archimède H., Bastianelli D., Lebas F., 2017. Mahua (Madhuca longifolia). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/131</ref>

The Tamils have several uses for ''M. longifolia'' (''iluppai'' in Tamil). The saying "''aalai illaa oorukku iluppaip poo charkkarai''" indicates when there is no cane sugar available, the flower of ''M. longifolia'' can be used, as it is very sweet. However, Tamil tradition cautions that excessive use of this flower will result in imbalance of thinking and may even lead to [[Insanity|lunacy]].<ref>Dr. J.Raamachandran, HERBS OF SIDDHA MEDICINES-The First 3D Book on Herbs, pp38</ref>

The alkaloids in the press cake of ''mahua'' seeds is reportedly used in killing fishes in aquaculture ponds in some parts of India. The cake serves to fertilise the pond, which can be drained, sun dried, refilled with water and restocked with fish fingerlings.<ref>Keenan, G.I., 1920. The microscopical identification of mohraw meal in insecticides. J. American Pharmaceutical Assoc., Vol. IX, No. 2, pp.144-147</ref><ref>T.V.R.Pillay and M.N.Kutty, 2005. Aquaculture: Principles and Practices. 2nd Edition. Blackwell Publishing Ltd., p.623</ref>

== Mahua Flowers==
[[File:Mahua_Flowers_1.jpg|thumb|right|''Mahua'' flowers]]
The mahua flower is edible and is a food item for tribals. They use it to make syrup for medicinal purposes.<ref name="trifed"/>

Mahua flowers are rich in total sugars, out of which reducing sugar are present in high amount. The flowers are also fermented to produce the alcoholic drink ''[[Mahuli (wine)|mahua]]'', a country liquor.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Suryawanshi |first1=Yogesh |last2=Mokat |first2=Digambar |title=Variability studies in Madhuca longifolia var. latifolia flowers from Northern Western Ghats of India |journal=Indian Journal of Hill Farming |date=2020 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=261–266}}</ref> Tribals of Surguja and Bastar in Chhattisgarh and peoples of Western Orissa, Santhals of Santhal Paraganas (Jharkhand), Koya tribals of North-East Andhra Pradesh, [[Bhil]] tribals in western [[Madhya Pradesh]] and tribals of North Maharashtra consider the tree and the ''mahua'' drink as part of their cultural heritage. ''Mahua'' is an essential drink for tribal men and women during celebrations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.india9.com/i9show/Mahuwa-59485.htm |title=Mahuwah |publisher=India9.com |date=2005-06-07 |access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref>

Mahua fruit are an essential food of Western Odisha people. The tree has a great cultural significance. There are many varieties of food prepared with its fruits and flowers. Also, Western Odisha people used to pray to this tree during festivals. The liquor produced from the flowers is largely colourless, opaque and not very strong. It is inexpensive and the production is largely done in home stills.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}

''Mahua'' flowers are also used to manufacture jam, which is made by tribal co-operatives in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-04/nagpur/35593507_1_mahua-country-liquor-tribals | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140213124910/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-04/nagpur/35593507_1_mahua-country-liquor-tribals | url-status=dead | archive-date=2014-02-13 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=Forest department, LIT develop new products from mahua | date=2012-12-04}}</ref>
[[File:Mahua.jpg|thumb|Mahua]]

Apart from that there is another company located in Wardha district of Maharashtra," Sevagram Agro Industries" who are dealing in Mahua products at very large scale and exporting innovative products such as seed oil and Mahua Jam to Arab countries.

In many parts of Bihar, such as villages in the district of Siwan, the flowers of ''mahua'' tree are sun-dried; these sun-dried flowers are ground to flour and used to make various kinds of breads.
[[File:Mahua for sale.jpg|thumb|The locals also use mahua flowers to make wine.]]
[[File:Mahua Drying by Pankaj Oudhia.jpg|thumb|Sun drying of Mahua (Madhuca) using Traditional Supa prepared from Bamboo in Chhattisgarh Village, India]]

==Literature==
Wine prepared from ''Madhūka'' flowers (Madhuca longifolia) finds mention in several Hindu, Jain and Buddhist literature works.<ref>Thomas, P. (1966). Incredible India. |page 97| D. B. Taraporevala Sons</ref> It also finds mention in [[Ayurveda| Ayurveda Samhitas]] which lists it among several different kinds of wine.<ref> An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, p461, Kunja Lal Bhishagratna (Kairaj), 1907.</ref>

{{Blockquote
|text=''Kali who is seated on a red lotus in full bloom, her beautiful face radiant, watching Mahākāla, who, drunk with the delicious '''wine of the Madhuka flower''', is dancing before her..''
|author=Mahānirvaņa Tantra<ref>Avalon, A. (2017). Mahanirvana Tantra.</ref>
}}

==Sacred tree==
''Madhūka'' tree is the sacred tree of various temples in [[South India]], including [[Irumbai Mahaleswarar Temple]], [[Iluppaipattu Neelakandeswarar Temple]], Tirukkodimaada Senkundrur at [[Tiruchengode]], and [[Thiruvanathapuram]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.shaivam.org/sv/sv_illuppai.htm|title=Shaivam.org - Devoted to God Shiva - An abode for Hindu God Shiva on the Internet|website=www.shaivam.org}}</ref> The [[Tamil people|Tamil]] saint-philosopher [[Valluvar]] is believed to have born under an iluppai tree within the [[Thiruvalluvar Temple, Mylapore|Ekambareshwarar Temple]] at [[Mylapore]], and hence ''madhūka'' remains the sanctum tree of the Valluvar shrine built within the Ekambareshwarar temple complex.<ref>{{cite news | last = Ramakrishnan | first = Deepa H. | title = As a war of words rages outside, peace reigns inside this temple | newspaper =The Hindu| location = Chennai | publisher = Kasturi & Sons | date = 15 November 2019 | url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/as-a-war-of-words-rages-outside-peace-reigns-inside-this-temple/article29976407.ece | page=3| access-date = 5 January 2020}}</ref>

==Mahua Oil==
*Average oil Content: 32.92 to 57.53% <ref>{{cite journal |last1=Suryawanshi |first1=Yogesh |last2=Mokat |first2=Digambar |title=Morphophysiological Seed Variability in Mahua Trees from Western Ghats and Its Impact on Tribal Life. |journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. |year=2021 |volume=91 |pages=227–239 |doi=10.1007/s40011-020-01223-w|s2cid=231876956 }}</ref>
* Refractive index: 1.452
* Fatty acid composition (acid, %) : palmitic (c16:0) : 24.5, stearic (c18:0) : 22.7, oleic (c18:1) : 37.0, linoleic (c18:2) : 14.3
* Elements : Carbon (C), Calcium (Ca), Nitrogen (N), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus (P), Sodium (Na) <ref>{{cite journal |last1=Suryawanshi |first1=Yogesh |last2=Mokat |first2=Digambar |title=GCMS and Elemental Analysis Of Madhuca Longifolia Var. Latifolia Seeds |journal=International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research |date=2019 |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=786–789 |doi=10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.10(2).786-89|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Trifed, a website of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India reports:
"Mahua oil has emollient properties and is used in skin disease, rheumatism and headache. It is also a laxative and considered useful in habitual constipation, piles and haemorrhoids and as an emetic. Native tribes also used it as an illuminant and hair fixer."<ref name="trifed"/>

It has also been used as [[biodiesel]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/farm-query-mahua-oil/article5606580.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Farm Query - Mahua oil | date=2014-01-22}}</ref>

==Other names==
* Other botanical names: ''Bassia longifolia'' L., ''B. latifolia'' Roxb., ''Madhuca indica'' J. F. Gmel., ''M. latifolia'' (Roxb.) J.F.Macbr., ''Illipe latifolia'' (Roxb.) F.Muell., ''Illipe malabrorum'' (Engl.) Note: the authentic genus ''[[Bassia]]'' is in the [[Chenopodiaceae]]. The names ''B. longifolia'' and ''B. latifolia'' are illegitimate.
* Varieties:
** ''M. longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' (Roxb.) A.Chev. (=''B. latifolia'' (Roxb))
** ''M. longifolia'' var. ''longifolia''
* Vernacular names:
**Santali:''matkom''
**Bengali:''mohua''
**Oriya:"Mahula" "ମହୂଲ"
**English: honey tree, butter tree
**French: ''illipe'', ''arbre à beurre'', ''bassie'', ''madhuca''
**India: ''moha, mohua, madhuca, kuligam, madurgam, mavagam, nattiluppai, tittinam, mahwa, mahua, mowa, moa, mowrah, mahuda (Gujarati-મહુડા) ''
**Marathi: "Mahu" and "muvda" in Pawari local tribal lang (Nandurbar, Maharashtra). / "Moha"
**Rajasthan: "dolma" in mevadi and marwari
**Sri Lanka: මී ''mee'' in Sinhala
**Tamil: iluppai (இலுப்பை),
**Telugu: vippa (విప్ప),
**Myanmar: ''ကမ်းဇော်''
**Nepal : Chiuri (चिउरी)
* Synonymous names for this tree in some of the Indian states are ''mahua'' and ''mohwa'' in [[Hindi]]-speaking belt, ''mahwa, mahula'', ''Mahula'' in [[Oriya language|Oriya]] and ''maul'' in [[Bengal]], ''mahwa'' and ''mohwro'' in [[Maharashtra]], ''mahuda'' in [[Gujarat]], ''ippa puvvu'' ({{lang-te|ఇప్ప}}) in Andhra Pradesh, ''ippe'' or ''hippe'' in Karnataka ([[Kannada]]), ''illupei'' or இலுப்பை in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], ''poonam'' and ''ilupa'' in [[Kerala]] ([[Malayalam]]) and ''mahula, moha'' and ''{{lang|or|modgi}}'' in [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] ([[Oriya language|Oriya]]).<ref name="trifed"/>

==Different views and aspects of ''M. longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' ==
<gallery>
File:Madhuca longifolia var latifolia (Mahua) fruit W IMG 0245.jpg|Fruit in [[Narsapur, Medak district]], [[India]]
File:Madhuca longifolia var latifolia (Mahua) leaves W IMG 0247.jpg|Fruit with leaves in [[Narsapur, Medak district]], [[India]]
File:Madhuca longifolia var latifolia (Mahua) trunk W IMG 0246.jpg|Trunk in [[Narsapur, Medak district]], [[India]]
File:Madhuca longifolia var latifolia (Mahua) W IMG 0242.jpg|Tree in [[Narsapur, Medak district]], [[India]]
File:Terminalia belerica Bhopal.JPG
File:Leaves of Madhuca longifolia, Umaria district, MP, India.jpg|Leaves in [[Umaria district]], [[Madhya Pradesh]]
File:Bassia latifolia 11.JPG|Mahua Tree in [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
File:Madhuca longifolia var latifolia (Mahua) fruits Melghat Tiger Reserve Maharashtra 56 249.jpg|Flowers from [[Melghat Tiger Reserve]], [[Maharashtra]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*{{ITIS |id=505956 |taxon=''Madhuca longifolia'' (J. Konig) J. F. Macbr.}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071001015525/http://www.hindu.com/seta/2005/09/01/stories/2005090100201600.htm Alternative edible oil from mahua seeds], The Hindu
*[http://www.oilsbynature.com/products/mowrah-butter-refined.htm Mowrah Butter], OilsByNature.com
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071109190812/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/FamineFoods/ff_families/SAPOTACEAE.html Famine Foods]
*[http://www.ieindia.org/publish/ag/0604/june04ag3.pdf Use of Mahua Oil (''Madhuca indica'') as a Diesel Fuel Extender]
*[https://www.wwfindia.org/who_we_are/index.cfm?uGlobalSearch=Mahua&uGlobalLang=en WWF India Mahua]
* [https://www.ted.com/talks/aparna_pallavi_what_foods_did_your_ancestors_love? "What foods did your ancestors love?"] Video of presentation by Aparna Pallavi at TEDxCapeTownWomen, with mahua being the central example of a common indigenous food source overlooked by the dominant society.

==Bibliography==
*Boutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature.
*Duke, J. A. 1989. Handbook of Nuts. CRC Press.
*Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage.
*Govaerts, R. & D. G. Frodin. 2001. World checklist and bibliography of Sapotaceae.
*Hara, H. et al. 1978–1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
*Matthew, K. M. 1983. The flora of the Tamil Nadu Carnatic.
*McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2.
*Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970–. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
*Pennington, T. D. 1991. The genera of the Sapotaceae.
*Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) - on-line resource.
*Saldanha, C. J. & D. H. Nicolson. 1976. Flora of Hassan district.
*Saldanha, C. J. 1985–. Flora of Karnataka.

{{Non-timber forest products}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2720146}}

[[Category:Madhuca|longifolia]]
[[Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent]]
[[Category:Non-timber forest products]]

Madhuca longifolia - Revision history

Malik ali: basic corrected article for consistency and corrected details

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article