Balanites roxburghii | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Zygophyllales |
Family: | Zygophyllaceae |
Genus: | Balanites |
Species: | B. roxburghii |
Binomial name | |
Balanites roxburghii Planch. |
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Synonyms | |
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Balanites roxburghii is a spiny, evergreen tree. It is common in open sandy plains of the Indian peninsula, western Rajasthan, west Bengal, Maharashtra and drier parts of India. The specific epithet roxburghii refers to the Scottish botanist William Roxburgh.
Bark, fruit seed, leaves of the tree and the oil from seeds is of medicinal value.
Shalya Parva, Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 36 shloka 58 mentions the biodiversity of River Sarasvati (Sapta-Saraswat). It is one of the species found along the banks of Sarasvati River.