Morinda pubescens J. E. Smith

മഞ്ഞണാത്തി

Family : Rubiaceae

Synonym : Morinda tinctoria Roxb.

Common Names : Manjanathi, Morinda tree

Flowering Period : March – June

Distribution : Indo-Malaysia

Habitat : Moist and dry deciduous forests, also in the plains

Uses : The trunk has been used to treat menstrual disorders, as a tonic for stomach and blood stasis. The fruit is rarely used medicinally because it has an unpleasant smell. However, it has been shown that the beverage produced by fermenting the fruits was able to inhibit enteropathogenic bacteria and also had a high amount of potassium. The ‘morindone dye’ obtained from the root bark is sold under the trade name 'Suranji'. It is used for dyeing cotton, silk and wool in shades of red, chocolate or purple. The colouring matter is found principally in the root bark and is collected when the plants reach three to four years of age.

Key Characters :

Morinda pubescens are deciduous trees, bark pale brown. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate; stipules interpetiolar; lamina elliptic-oblong, margin entire. Flowers bisexual, white, in terminal, globose heads; corolla lobes 4, oblong, recurved; stamens 4, attached to the throat of corolla, anthers exserted; ovary 2-celled or incompletely 4-celled, inferior. Fruit a syncarp, globose, pyrenes 4, oblong; seeds not winged.