Thespesia populnea, Pooparutthi, Poovarasu, Indian tulip tree, പൂപ്പരുത്തി, പൂവരശ്

Family: Malvaceae
Vernacular names: Pooparutthi, Poovarasu, പൂപ്പരുത്തി, പൂവരശ് (Malayalam), Indian tulip tree (English), Parisha (Sanskrit), Porush (Hindi), Puvarasu (Tamil)
Distribution: Pantropical
Description: Small trees, bark dark brown. Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate. Flowers bisexual, yellow, showy, solitary or in cymes, axillary or terminal. Fruit a capsule, globose, indehiscent; seeds many, ovoid.
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Grown as fence-posts and avenue tree, also in mangrove forests
Flowering & Fruiting: March-June

Parts used: Whole plant
Properties & Uses: The bark, leaves, flowers and fruits are useful in cutaneous affections such as scabies, psoriasis, ringworm and eczema. Yellow juice of the peduncles and fruits are useful in sprains, bruises and cutaneous diseases. Decoction of the bark is given internally in chronic dysentery. Oil prepared by boiling the ground bark in coconut oil is applied in psoriasis and scabies. Ground leaves and contents of the capsule applied externally in eczema and ring worms. A compound oil of the bark and capsule is beneficial in cases of urethritis and gonorrhea. Seeds possess purgative properties.
Systems of Medicines: Ayurveda, Folk, Unani,
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