Alexandrian Laurel (Ball Tree)
In Religion and Mythology
It is associated with Lord Shiva and is one of the 8 flowers offered to him during early morning worship.
The greenish oil extracted from the seeds is used extensively for treating burns, rheumatism, scabies and skin eruptions. The timber is used for making railway sleepers and for building ships and boats.
Botanical Name: Calophyllum inophyllum Linn.
Common Name: Alexandrian Laurel, Sultan Champa (Hindi), Punnai (Tamil), Punnaga (Sanskrit).
Distribution: Coastal regions of eastern and western India.