Ezhilam Pala (Alstonia scholaris) is a medium sized tree native to India, South Asia. The leaf arrangement of the plant has some peculiarities that gave it the Malayalam name, Ezhilam Pala, which means a pala tree with seven leaves. It is not to say the entire tree has only seven leaves, but the leaves are supposed to be of whorls of seven. However, there are differences in the number of leaves in a whorl. It can sometimes be six.

The tree is also known as yakshi pala (a yakshi is somewhat similar to a ghost of a young woman). The flowers give out a characteristic fragrance that gives people a feel of excitement. The white flowers are small and appear as terminal inflorescence.

The bark and leaves produce a milky latex when injured, which is toxic.

The latex also gives good medicinal properties with appropriate combinations and forms treatment remedy for fever, coughs etc. The bark of the tree is used in the treatment of toothache, malaria and rheumatism. It is also used as an antidote to snake bite.

Alstonia scolaris belongs to the family Apocynaceae.

The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) is an ornamental tree that has both religious and medicinal values to Indian Hindus. This tree has got its name because of its flowering characteristics. Flowers of golden yellow color hang from the branches in clusters, giving a vivid yellow to golden look when viewed from a distance. Usually there will be little to no leaves while the tree is in full bloom.

The tree grows about 5-12 m high.

The long fruits bear several seeds, in the tune of hundreds of seeds in a single fruit. Both the fruits and the bark of the tree are used in different Ayurvedic medicines. The fruits are poisonous in nature.

The tree, especially flowers have religious value for Hindu families, especially in Kerala. During the New Year celebration, Vishu, the flowers of golden shower make an auspicious kani (a sight of good omen that brings you health, prosperity and happiness). Among several other things like the picture of Gods and Goddesses, gold ornaments of coins, farm products etc, the flowers of golden shower are arranged in a special deity like position as a sign of prosperity.

The tree thrives in all climates except frost.

Hemp or Cannabis (Cannabis Indica, Cannabis sativa) is a narcotic plant product grown in selected parts of India. Hemp refers to non-drug use of the plant, while cannabis is related to the intoxicating drug marijuana.

The cultivation of the plant is mostly on the sidelines of law. Authorities usually seize the areas of cannabis production, which is usually in the interiors of thick forests where jeeps and other vehicles find it hard to reach.

Apart from the negative light on this plant, it is also a good fiber yielding plant. Hemp is used clothing, paint manufacturing, and cooking.

Though cannabis can be used in different medicines, the large scale use of cannabis as a drug puts medical practitioners in two sides. However different compounds of the plant can be used in pain relief and in treating nausea.

The horse cassia (Cassia grandis) is a small tree with beautiful flowers. The tree produces brightly colored small flowers that literally cover the tree. This tree can be used as avenue tree and makes a good ornamental tree. The tree grows up to a height of 10 to 15 meters. The flowers produce long fruits, which bear many fruits.

Horse cassia got its name because of its use in treating different diseases that affect horses. Medicines are prepared from the extracts of barks and fruits for human use also. The pulp of fruits and the decoction prepared from the leaves of horse cassia is a powerful laxative (hence rarely used for the purpose). It is used in the treatment of anemia, ringworm etc.

Ilanji (Mimusops elengi) is a tropical tree that produces tiny flowers that release a sweet aroma during night. The leaves thus without doubt form a part of perfumes with intoxicating fragrance.

Ilanji prefers cool climate, but doesnÂ’t withstand frost. The tree is also found in tropical conditions.

The Hindi word for ilanji is kabiki. The fruit of ilanji (or ilanjhi) is edible. The fruit has a thick outer skin which encloses sweet yellow pulp and taken fresh.

Different parts of ilanji tree have medicinal properties. Researches by different organizations show positive effects on reducing ulcer and hyper tension.

Mimusops elengi belongs to the family Sapotaceae.

Cotton (Gossypium arboretum and G. herbaceum) is cultivated throughout central and north India. Cotton plants give the cotton to produce cotton fabrics. There are two species of cotton grown in India.

Cotton fiber is seen as surrounding cotton seeds. Dried fiber is spun into a fine thread, from which the natural textile products are made. The fiber is purely made of cellulose.

Cotton has a prominent place in IndiaÂ’s struggle for freedom and independence. As a measure of boycotting fabrics imported to the country, Gandhiji, the father of the Nation declared to spin cotton threads with a lowly spinning machine called charka. This quickly transferred to the people of rural India and became a mass movement of self sufficiency and boycott of foreign goods. Such charka are still available in rural India.

Cotton plants prefer lot of sunlight and water. The preferred climate for harvesting is dry weather.

Unrefined cottonseed oil is used as a pesticide. Refined cotton seed oil is used as a vegetable oil, but in moderate use. Cottonseed cake is used as a fodder.

India accounts for about 30 % of global cotton production. Cotton is also a key driver of economy in rural India after agriculture.

Cotton belongs to the family malvaceae.

Jackfruit (artocarpus heterophyllus) is native to Kerala or Southwestern India. Jack fruit is also found throughout India, and countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam etc.

This tree produces the biggest tree-borne fruit. Though it appears to be a single fruit, it is a compound fruit. In Kerala, such fruits reach a maximum length of 4-5 ft and diameter 2 ft, easily weighing up to 40 kg and in rare cases 50 kg a fruit. It gives the appearance of a single fruit, giving it the appearance of a big fruit. The fruit, leaves and bark of the tree has a sticky white latex, which makes it difficult to handling the fruit. When the large green compound fruit is cut open with an axe or a big knife, one can see numerous bulbous parts (the actual fruit), each enclosing a long oval seed, which also is edible. One needs to apply kerosene, coconut oil or paraffin to remove the latex. There is however no glue in the actual fruit that people consume.

There are hundreds of variety of jack fruits in Kerala, which are mainly classified into two – koozha (the fruits become fibrous and lose its strength to retain shape on complete ripening and varikka (the fruits that retain the shape even after complete ripening. It takes skill to eat koozha chakka (chakka means jackfruit in Malayalam). On pressing the fruit the seed is sqeezed out. On the other hand varikka chakka stays in shape and gives a nice crunchy bite.

The wood is used as timber for making furniture of almost all kinds, including doors. Carpentry is quite easy on this wood. It also supports craftworks. The heartwood is also used in the production of different musical instruments.

Propagation of the plant is mainly by seeds or by air-layering. Seeds have very short shelf-life, usually less than 30 days.

Artocarpus heterophyllus belongs to the plant family Moraceae.

The Java Cassia (Cassia javanica) is an evergreen tree that reaches a height of up to 15 meters. Brightly colored pink, orange, yellow, red or white flowers cover the tree in summer. The plant is native to Java, but is found abundantly in India. The tree is also called rainbow shower tree, pink shower tree and apple blossom shower tree because of the resemblance of the flower to apple flowers.

The inflorescence appear upright from the stem and almost fully covers the tree. The tree is slightly deciduous, with leaves falling of near completely before blossoming. The fruits are long and accommodate several seeds within them. The tree grows quickly in all climates except extremes.

Cassia javanica belongs to the family fabaceae.

Kudampuli (garcinia cambogea) is an important tree, known for its pumpkin shaped, sour-tasting fruit. Kudampuli is the Malayalam word for Malabar tamarind or brindle berry.

The tree grows to about 15-20 m high, with dark green foliage and produces small flowers. The fruits appear in bunches. Garcinia fruits appear to be small slightly out of shape pumpkin hanging in bunches. The acrid fruit is used as a spice almost on a regular basis in Kerala kitchens.

Extracts from garcinia fruit now find application in several weight loss tonics and pills.

According to Ayurveda, kudampuli promotes digestion. It is thus a natural spice for Kerala and Indian families.

Garcinia cambogea belongs to the family Clusiaceae.

Mahogany (Swetinia Mahogany) is a quick growing timber tree found in almost all parts of India and now used almost as an alternative to teak.

Mahogany grows straight and much quicker than teak. Thus farmers choose it for many benefits including the quick straight timber they get from a mahogany tree.

This tree grows in wilderness as well as cultivated. It tree can be fallen in less than 20 years of planting.

Mahogany comes in the family Magnoliophyta.

Mango (Mangifera indica) is a delicious tropical fruit abundant in Kerala and all parts of India. There are thousands of variations of mango. They range in size and taste.

The term mango comes from either Malayalam ‘manga’ or Tamil ‘maangai’. The trees reach up to 35 meters height, abundantly branched, and with long leaves. Flowers appear as bunches. Raining during the flowering season can affect fruiting. There are many instances where the flowers are lost due to a shower or a small rain.

A single mango may weight up to 2.5 kg, however normal sized mangoes weigh 300 gm or less. Mango fruit is a drupe. Red is the common color of ripe mangoes. There are however variety that has yellow skin.

The trunk is used for furniture, but is not as stable as many other timber trees. Freshly cut and sawed timber is kept under water for six to eight weeks as a measure of strengthening the timber. It is then used in the manufacture of almost all kinds of domestic furniture.

The ripe leaves form a natural toothbrush. Many villages still have the practice of tearing away the central vein and coiling the blade of the leave for brushing.