Appearance
Bullet wood is an evergreen tree reaching a height of about 16 m. It flowers in April, and fruiting occurs in June. Leaves are glossy, dark green, oval-shaped, 5–14 cm long, and 2.5–6 cm wide. Flowers are cream, hairy, and scented. Bark is thick and appears dark brownish black or grayish black in colour, with striations and a few cracks on the surface.The tree may reach up to a height of 9–18 m with about 1 m in circumference.
Uses
The bark, flowers, fruits, and seeds of ''Bakula'' are astringent, cooling, anthelmintic, tonic, and febrifuge. It is mainly used in dental ailments like bleeding gums, pyorrhea, dental caries, and loose teeth.Extracts of flowers are used against heart diseases, leucorrhoea, and menorrhagia, and act as antiduretic in polyuria and antitoxin. The snuff made from the dried and powdered flowers is used in a disease called ''ahwa'' in which strong fever, headache, and pain in the neck, shoulders, and other parts of the body occurs.
Ripened fruits facilitate a cure for burning urination. The ripe fruit pounded and mixed with water is given to promote delivery in childbirth. The powder of dried flowers is a brain tonic and useful as a snuff to relieve headache.
Decoction of bark is used to wash the wounds.*The edible fruit is softly hairy becoming smooth, ovoid, bright red-orange when ripe.
⤷ The wood is a luxurious wood that is extremely hard, strong and tough, and rich deep red in color. The heart wood is sharply defined from the sapwood. It works easily and takes a beautiful polish. Weight is 1008 kg per cubic meter.
⤷ Flowers have light fragrance which is retained even after flowers are dried and are used to make ornamental garlands offered for ''pooja'' throughout India.
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