Context

• Recently the Amaltas of Indian Laburnum is a spot of sunshine on already sunny days.

Amaltas Tree

• It is native to South-East Asia is one of the most widespread trees in India and South-East Asia, with their presence both in cities as well as in moist and dry forests.
• It has drooping clusters of bright fragrant yellow flowers with five petals and characteristic cylindrical fruits.
• It is known by so many names — Indian Laburnum, Golden Shower, Purging Fistula, Pudding-pipe tree, Girmala, Rajbrikh, Alash, Kiar, Kirwara, Ali — showing us how common and loved it is.
• It is both the national tree and the national flower of Thailand and is also the state flower of Kerala.
• The tree is mostly known to be ornamental and few know of its benefits as a medicinal plant, and one that’s loved by some mammals, bees, and butterflies.
• The bark is used to make dye and the pulp in the fruit pod also serves as a strong purgative agent, which also helps animals that feed on it.
• A medicinal preparation with the roots of the tree is used to cure leprosy and skin diseases and the leaves are used to get rid ulcers, in traditional medicine.