Asoka tree
Saraca asoca
Also known as True Asoka, Sita Asoka, Sesbania Pea, Canicha, Prickly Sesban
About Asoka tree
Saraca asoca, commonly known as the ashoka tree (lit. "sorrow-less"), is a plant belonging to the Detarioideae subfamily of the Fabaceae family of plants (also referred to as the legume, pea, or bean family). The tree is native to the Indian subcontinent, with its native range extending from Pakistan to the west, through India and Bangladesh to Myanmar in the east, and from Bhutan and Nepal in the north to Sri Lanka in the south. Within its native range, it is primarily growing in seasonally dry tropical forests. It is an important tree to multiple cultural traditions across the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The flower of ashoka tree is the state flower of Indian state of Odisha.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Saraca asoca
- Genus
- Saraca
- Family
- CAESALPINIACEAE
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests, also grown as ornamental tree Key identification features : A smal tree with bright orange scarlet flowers
- Native to
- India, Sri Lanka
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh. Introduced in cultivation in Malaysia
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-October
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (VU)
Local Names
- Hindi
- सीता अशोक Sita Ashok, Sita Ashok, asok
- Nepali
- अशोक Ashok
- Bengali
- অশোক Ashoka
- Tamil
- அசோகம் Ashokam, அசோகம், செயலை
- Telugu
- అశోకము Asokamu, కంగేలి Kangeli, వంజులము Vanjulamu
- Kannada
- ಅಚಂಗೆ, ಆಚಂಗೆ Achange, ಅಚೆಂಗ Achenga
- Malayalam
- അശോകം Ashokam, ഹേമപുഷ്പം Hemapushpam
- Marathi
- अशोक Ashok, जासुंदी Jasundi, जसवंत Jaswant
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Asoka tree belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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