Alstonia Scholaris, Ditabark – 0.5 kg Seeds

FAMILY: Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family)
GENUS: Alstonia
SPECIES: Scholaris
COMMON NAMES: Chatian (Hindi), Chhatim (Bengali), Dita (Tagalong), Dita Tree, Maddale (Kannada), Milky Pine, Pala, Saptaparna (Sanskrit, ‘seven-leaved’), Satvin, Shaitan (Arabic, ‘devil’), Yaksippala

Alstonia scholaris, commonly known as the dita tree, is an evergreen that may grow up to 100 feet tall.  It has rough, grey bark and large leaves that grow in clusters of seven. The flowers are small and greenish-yellow in color.  The fruits are thin pods that can grow up to 20 inches long. The sap of the tree is sticky and bitter.

MEDICINAL USE: The bark of the dita tree is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat fever, malaria, troubles in digestion, tumors, ulcers, asthma, and so forth. The leaves and the latex are applied externally to treat tumors. The bark and roots are boiled with rice and eaten by girls daily for several weeks to treat excessive vaginal discharge. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the dried leaves of the dita tree are used as an expectorant. Members of the Alstonia genus are used around the world to treat malaria.