Miliusa tomentosa is a large deciduous tree with 15-20 metre height.[1] It is commonly known as Wooly Miliusa.[2] The native range of this species is Indian subcontinent.[3] It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.
Woolly Miliusa is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 20 m tall. Bark is blackish brown. Leaves are thick leathery, ovate, oblong, 4-10 cm long, 2-5.5 cm broad, smooth above, softly hairy below, base rounded, margin entire, tip pointed, leaf-stalk 2-5 mm. Flowers are greenish, 1.5 cm across, solitary or in pairs opposite the leaf. Sepals are about 4 mm long, linear-lanceshaped. Petals are 3+3, abount 6 mm long, outer petals sepal-like, inner ones oblong to obovate. Fruits are dark purple, nearly spherical, 8-17 arranged in a ring, 2-3 cm across, stalk 1-1.5 cm long, seeds 3-4. Flowering: May-June.[4]
It belongs to the family Annonaceae.
A qualitative preliminary phytochemical analysis of dried leaves of this plant revealed the presence of carbohydrate, protein, cardiac glycoside, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, anthraquinones, tannins, quinines and inorganic compounds.[5]
The oil from its seeds is used in Chinese traditional medicine for its antibacterial and analgesic properties.[6]
Butterflies such as Tawny rajah, Tailed jay, Common jay, Spot swordtail, Narrow banded bluebottle etc. Feed on the leaves of this tree.[7]