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False ashoka (Monoon longifolium)

Dlium False ashoka (Monoon longifolium)

False ashoka (Monoon longifolium) is a plant species in the Annonaceae, a small tree, evergreen, up to more than 20 meters high, symmetrical pyramidal with pendulous branches, hardwood, easy to grow and very adaptive.

M. longifolium has long narrow lanceolate leaves with wavy edges, 25 cm long, 6 cm wide, copper brown pigmentation but over time becomes bright green and finally dark green.



Pale green flowers resemble delicate stars. The flowering period is usually 2-3 weeks. Fruits in 10-20 pieces, round, up to 2 cm wide, green but turn purple or black when ripe.

Trees are used to filter air pollution. Leaves are used for decorative decoration during festivals. Trees are easily pruned into various shapes and maintained in the required size. Flexible, straight and light rods are used in making sailing ship masts. Wood for making pencils, boxes and matches. Seed oil has anti-oxidant, anti-lipooxygenase and antimicrobial activity.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae
Subfamily: Malmeoideae
Tribe: Miliuseae
Genus: Monoon Miq. in Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 2: 15 (1865)
Species: Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders in Taxon 61: 1032 (2012)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Guatteria longifolia (Sonn.) Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 6442 (1832)
Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites in Enum. Pl. Zeyl.: 398 (1864)
Unona altissima Russell ex Wall. in Numer. List: n.° 6442 (1832)
Unona longifolia (Sonn.) Dunal in Monogr. Anonac.: 109 (1817)
Uvaria altissima Pennant in Outlin. Globe 1: 83 (1798)
Uvaria longifolia Sonn. in Voy. Indes Orient., ed. 2, 3: 260 (1782)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula Benthall in Trees Calcutta: xliii, 11 (1946)

PUBLICATIONS

Balkrishna, A. (2018). Flora of Morni Hills (Research & Possibilities): 1-581. Divya Yoga Mandir Trust.

Johnson, D.M. & Murray, N.A. (eds.) (2022). Flora of Thailand 16(1): 1-332. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

Turner, I.M. (2018). Annonaceae of the Asia-Pacific region: names types and distribution. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 70: 409-744.

VERNACULAR NAME

Assamese: Umboi
Australia: Indian mast tree
Bengali: देबदारू
Chinese (Simplified): 长叶暗罗 - 垂枝暗罗 - 印度塔树
Chinese (Traditional): 印度塔樹 - 長葉暗羅
English: False ashoka, Indian mast tree, Glodokan Tiang, Buddha tree, Indian fir tree, Ashoka, Green champa, Mast tree, Telegraph pole tree
Finnish: Intiankoppipuu
Gujarati: આસોપાલવ
Hindi: अशोक Ashok
Indonesian: Glodogan Tiang
Japanese: マストツリー - レインツリー
Kannada: Madras ashoka, Ubbina, Kambada mara
Konkani: Asok
Malayalam: Ashokam, Ashvattam, Hemapushpam, Aranamaram, Cherunna, Choranna
Manipuri: Debdar
Marathi: Devdar, Dedbari
Nepali: अशोक Aśōka
Oria: Debadaru, Asupal
Russian: Полиалтия длиннолистная
Sanskrit: Ashoka, Putrajiva
Sinhala: වන්සුලම් - නෙත්තලිංගම් Vansulam
Slovak: mnoholiek dlholistý
Spanish: Árbol mástil, Pino Indu
Tamil: வன்சுலம் - நெற்றிலிங்கம் Vansulam, Nettilingam
Telugu: Devdaru, Nara maamidi
Thai: อโศกอินเดีย

Aryo Bandoro
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