flame-of-the-forest

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Kennedia monosperma
• Plaso monosperma
• Corallodendron monospermum
• Rudolphia frondosa
• Plaso frondosa
• Plaso monosperma var. flava
• Butea braamiana
• Erythrina monosperma
• Butea monosperma var. lutea
• Butea frondosa var. lutea

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales, it is further categorized into the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is placed within the specific genus Butea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range across parts of Asia. In China, it can be found specifically throughout the South-Central and Southeast regions. Its distribution extends into the Indian Subcontinent, where it is native to Assam. Furthermore, the species is well-documented within the borders of Bangladesh. Finally, it also thrives in the rugged terrains of the East Himalaya.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Butea monosperma is characterized by its specific environmental niche, primarily defined by its distribution within a precise altitudinal belt. This species is found within a highly specialized elevational range, occurring strictly at an altitude of 500 m AMSL. This narrow vertical distribution suggests a high degree of adaptation to the specific atmospheric pressures, temperature gradients, and moisture regimes found at this exact level above mean sea level. Such a precise elevational range, where the minimum and maximum values converge at 500 m AMSL, indicates that the plant is highly sensitive to altitudinal shifts and thrives within a very specific ecological stratum.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Butea monosperma is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. Its physiological rhythm is marked by a distinct deciduousness, where it sheds its foliage periodically, typically during the dry season, to conserve moisture before undergoing a period of regrowth.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Butea monosperma is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree, reaching an average height of approximately 12 m. As a terrestrial species, it grows independently in its environment, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte. The plant is strictly self-supporting in its structure, lacking any climbing or vine-like tendencies, and maintains a solid, woody constitution throughout its development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

12 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Butea monosperma is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency under typical environmental conditions. In terms of nutrient cycling and symbiotic relationships, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized root nodules required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms through biological nitrogen fixation.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Butea monosperma is characterized by a specific phenological cycle and specialized pollination mechanisms. The flowering period is concentrated primarily in April, though the timing can be variable across different environments. The plant relies on biotic pollination syndromes to facilitate fertilization, with birds serving as the primary pollinators for the species. Following successful pollination, the plant produces seeds that exhibit specific morphological dimensions; the seed mass typically averages approximately 1.038 g, with individual seed weights ranging from a minimum of 0.909 g to a maximum of 1.167 g.

Flowering time :

Apr

Pollination syndrome :

bird

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

1.167 g

Seed mass mean:

1.038045 g

Seed mass min:

0.90909 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Butea monosperma has 5 reported plant parts identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, stem, leaf, flower, root.

Seed

1. Acta microbiologica Hungarica
2. Fitoterapia
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Journal of herbal pharmacotherapy
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Natural product research
2. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Phytochemistry

Leaf

1. Scientific reports
2. Natural product research
3. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Flower

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics

Root

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Chemicals

Butea monosperma has 21 reported phytochemicals identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CATECHIN, Flavonoids, Butin, Isocoreopsin, quercetin.

CATECHIN

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Computational biology and chemistry
3. Chemistry & biodiversity

Flavonoids

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Computational biology and chemistry
3. Natural product research

Butin

1. Computational biology and chemistry
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Isocoreopsin

1. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics
2. Computational biology and chemistry

quercetin

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Chemistry & biodiversity

(-)-Medicarpin

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

(-)-Medicarpin acetate

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Butrin

1. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics

Flavonoid

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Gallic acid

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Activities

Butea monosperma has 17 reported activities identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Cytotoxic, Antiamnesic.

Antioxidant

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Antibacterial

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Aphrodisiac

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine (Hyderabad)

Cytotoxic

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Antiamnesic

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Antiepileptic

1. Metabolic brain disease

Antifertility

1. Computational biology and chemistry

Antifungal

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Antigenotoxic

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Antimicrobial

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Conditions

Butea monosperma has 26 reported investigations on conditions identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, constipation, diarrhea, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus subtilis.

Cancer

1. Current drug targets
2. Archives of Razi Institute

Constipation

1. Archives of Razi Institute
2. Frontiers in veterinary science

Diarrhea

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Archives of Razi Institute

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Bacillus subtilis

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Breast cancer

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Enterobacter aerogenes

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Enterobacter cloacae

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Escherichia coli

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Free radical

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Preparations

Butea monosperma has 21 reported preparations identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extracts, stem bark, Preparations, Seed powder, alcoholic bark extract.

Extracts

1. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Stem bark

1. Natural product research
2. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

Preparations

1. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Seed powder

1. Archives of Razi Institute

Alcoholic bark extract

1. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology

Aqueous ethanolic extract cocktail

1. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine

Aqueous preparations

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Arkas

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Butin isolated from the seeds

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Ethanol extracts

1. Journal of chromatographic science