67-MORINGA OLECIFERA Lamk.Encycl
Local names: Shevga, drumstick, Mungni
Family: Moringaceae
Location: In front of Kamla Nehru Polytechnic Building.
Characters: M. oleifera is a fast-growing, deciduous tree that can reach a height of 10–12 metres and trunk diameter of 45 centimetres. The bark has a whitish-gray color and is surrounded by thick cork. Young shoots have purplish or greenish-white, hairy bark. The tree has an open crown of drooping, fragile branches, and the leaves build up a feathery foliage of tripinnate leaves. The flowers are fragrant and hermaphroditic, surrounded by five unequal, thinly veined, yellowish-white petals. The flowers are about 1–1.5 cm long and 2 cm broad. They grow on slender, hairy stalks in spreading or drooping flower clusters, which have a length of 10–25 cm. Flowering begins within the first six months after planting. In seasonally cool regions, flowering only occurs once a year in late Spring and early Summer. In more constant seasonal temperatures and with constant rainfall, flowering can happen twice or even all year-round. The fruit is a hanging, three-sided brown 20–45 cm capsule, which holds dark brown, globular seeds with a diameter around 1 cm. The seeds have three whitish papery wings and are dispersed by wind and water. In cultivation, it is often cut back annually to 1–2 m and allowed to regrow so the pods and leaves remain within arm's reach.
General use: M. oleifera has numerous applications in cooking throughout its regional distribution. Edible parts of the plant include the whole leaves (leaflets, stalks and stems); the immature, green fruits or seed pods; the fragrant flowers; and the young seeds and roots.