Azadirachta indica A. Juss.
| Kannada Name : | Bevina mara |
| Common Name : | Neem tree |
| Family Name : | Meliaceae |
| Scientific Name : | Azadirachta indica |
| Species Type : | Indigenous |
| Phenology : | Deciduous |
| Conservation Status : | Least concern |
| Flowering Period : | March - April |
| Fruiting Period : | July - August |
| Origin : | Africa, Indian Subcontinent |
Uses
Neem leaves are dried and placed in cupboards to prevent insects eating the clothes. It acts as an anti-feedant, repellent, and egg-laying deterrent and thus protects the crop from damage. Neem oil has been shown to avert termite attack as an ecofriendly and economical agent.
Description
Evergreen tree, 15–20 m tall. Crown dense and roundish. Leaves compound, imparipinnate, alternate pulvinus leaf base, medium to dark green, leaflets ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, glabrous, base oblique, apex acuminate, margin serrate. Inflorescence an axillary panicle. Flowers bisexual, white, sweet scented, 8 mm in diameter. The fruit is a drupe, oblong-ovoid, greenish-yellow, sweet pulp surrounding a single seed.
