7. THE QUEENS FLOWER or MOTA-BONDARA Lagerstroemia flos reginae Retz. (Order: Lythmceae), Lagerstroemia named in honour of Magnus V.

Lagerstroem, a Swede and a friend of Linnaeus. Flos-Reginae means flower of the queen. Description: A moderate-sized deciduous tree reaching 60 ft. in height. Leaves 4 to 8 in. long by 1.5 to 3 in. wide, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, tip somewhat acute, base acute, or rounded, nerves 10 to 13 pairs, prominent. Flowers arranged in large panicles at the ends of the branches, 2 to 3 in. across. Calyx cup-shaped with 12 to 14 prominent ridges, with 6-7 small teeth on the rim of the cup. Petals 6 to 7 in number, 1 to 1.5-inches long, rounded and crumpled, spreading. Stamens many, Fruit a capsule elliptic or spherical in shape, with the remains of the style crowning its summit. Distribution: India, the Western Peninsula, Assam, Burma and Ceylon; Malaya arid China. Often cultivated for the beauty of its flowers. Gardening: Propagated by seed. The seeds should be sown in pots and the seedlings transferred to the ground in the second or third season as ..the plant is slow-growing in the first year or two; later the development is more rapid. Uses: The tree exudes a resin. The wood is tough and suitable for under-water purposes but not underground: used in India for boats, canoes, gun-carriages, carts, ammunition boxes, buildings, etc.; in Ceylon it is used for casks and many other purposes. In Burma, where it is the most important timber tree, it is largely employed. In medicine the roots are prescribed as an astringent. Every part of the tree is of some repute in native medicine. The seeds are said to be narcotic; the bark and leaves purgative. In the Andamans the fruit is used as an application for aphthous ulcers in the mouth. Trade name is Jarul.