Madhuca indica - A Tree for All Reasons

Abstract

Madhuca indica a tree that is worshipped by tribal has versatile uses. It is an economic tree for tribal people as selling of its flowers, fruits and seeds fetch income enough to meet their day to day expenses. Every part of the tree has its own importance in one or other way. However, flowers have more weightage as they possess good nutritional value thus useful for various preparations like jams, jellies, biscuits, cakes, fermented products and many other food items. Pale yellow colored oil is extracted from seed which is widely used as adulterant by the tribal community, besides the fact that it has a number of applications in cosmetic industry. Madhuca species though has potential use often neglected due to unawareness. This article mainly focuses on how it can be put to use for various purposes.