Apta tree
- 2. General Information It is called yamalapatrakah in Sanskrit, and comenly knowned as Apta or Bidi Leaf Tree (Bauhinia racemos) is a small crooked tree. Bidi Leaf Tree is a small crooked tree with drooping branches, growing up to 3-5 m tall. Leaves are typical Bauhinia like, shaped like cow's hooves. They are broader than long, 2-5 X 3-6 cm. Small flowers are borne in loose racemes, 5-10 cm long. Flowers are about 1 cm, greenish white. Petal are 5, narrow lancelike, stamens 10. Pods 13 to 25 cms by 1.8-2.5 cms in size, generally curved, swollen, rigid. Seeds 12 to 20, glabrous, dark reddish brown or black, compressed, 8mm long. Flowering: February-May. Its bark is dark brown, smooth and peels in patches. Its heart-shaped leaves have long, tapering tips. The slightest breeze makes them rustle. The fruit is purple when ripe. During the Vedic period, its wood was used to make fire by friction.
- 3. Origin The Apta (Bauhinia racemosa) is one of several varieties of Bauhinias found in India. It is found commonly in dry decidous forests and may even be found upto an altitude of 1500 metres in the Western Himalayas. Given the title 'Vanarajah', king of the forest in Sanskrit it is also known as Svet Kanchan for its small white flowers and often mistaken for the more commonly found Kanchan which has rose purple flowers, because of the similarity in the shape of their leaves. Did you know that this tree is traditionally associated with the festival of Dasara? These are the Shami (Prosopis spicigera) and the Apta (Bauhinia racemosa). In many communities in central India, there is a ritual of exchanging the leaves of the Apta as a symbol of gold during Dasara. Time to make a difference! In recent times, these trees are not so commonly found especially in urban environments. The tradition of offerring the leaves, leads to a widescale destruction of the few remaining trees in and around the cities. To reverse this trend, eCoexist proposes gifts of Apta and Shami saplings for the festival of Dussehra.
- 4. Plantation The Apta seems easy to find because it has leaves with two lobes. But careful! There are several species of Bauhinia in India and often the more commonly occurring Kanchan (as shown in the image) which has pink flowers gets mistaken for the Apta which has small white flowers. It grow in very harsh climatic conditions and in poor soil. The roots of this plant are known to go down as deep as 35 meters in search of water. Being a legume, it adds nitrogen to the soil and increases its fertility. When planting, use soil with a pH of 7 or below. It grows best outside. Young Apta tree need proper nourishment. It requires full sunlight and proper watering.
- 5. Uses Almost each & every part of this tree has some medicinal values. The stem bark of the tree is an astringent and is used in the treatment of headache, fever, skin diseases, blood diseases, dysentery & diarrhea. A decoction of the bark is recommended as a useful wash for ulcers. The tree is demonstrated to have anti- oxidant & hepatoprotective effects. An extract of the leaves has been proved to show analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anthelmintic and anti-microbial activity too. The tree has anti-tumor qualities and is also used in to treat early stage of malignancy. The Apta is used as a cure for digestive diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery. It also has anti-tumour qualities and is used to treat the first stages of cancer. The flowers are laxative & seeds are anti-bacterial. The leaves are used for making bidis (Bidi Leaf Tree). The tree yields a useful gum & fibres. The bark is used for tanning and dyeing.