asoka and nettilingam

ASOKA tree is short.  NETTILINGAM is LONG.  Asoka tree must be used for menopause and Gynecological problems.  But nettilingam must not be used for that.  

CAUTION. HENCE THIS ARTICLE.

அழகான அன்பான அசோகா
அடேய் நெட்டி லிங்க மடையன்
I am herewith give the difference of asoka and the nettilingam. don't call the nettilingam as asoka hereafter.

asoka flowers are beautiful crimson red in colour







nettilingam flowers are green in colour and give a hazy look during bloom



asoka seeds are like sabre beans (avaraikkay)

nettilingam seeds are like rose apple (navappalam) and like tender mangoes.


asoka tree is short

nettilingam tree is tall and grow in a single stem to height hence the name mast tree.

asoka leaves are dark and like mango leaves.

nettilingam leaves are wavy





as the flowers of asoka are giving happiness the name asoka (sorrowless)




in malasia nettilingam tree is used for funeral rituals.

Fact and fallacy about the Asoka tree

saraca asoca or the sorrow less tree is considered sacred. It also has several medicinal uses

saraca indica L. Caesalpinioideae caesalpiniaceae family.

The Saraca Indica trees are also a variety of the Flame of the Forest trees. This tree is such a tree that reduces the pain and sorrow of the people. People feel happy when they see the extraordinary beauty of the tree. Saraca Indica is actually the scientific name of the tree. It belongs to the family of Leguminosae and to the sub family of Coesalpineae. The Indian people call these trees in various names. Both the Hindi and Bengali speaking people call it as Asok, Asoka, and Vanjulam. Its Asok, Ashoka or Asogam in Tamil and Diyaratmal in Sinhalese. The Malayalam people call it as either Gapis or Tengalan.

There are some doubts and controversies over the origin of the name Saraca Indica. Sir W. Jones, who has given the honour by the Indian botanists, who stated him as "the most enlightened of the sons of men", expressed his farm view that the tree should retain its old Sanskrit name Ashoka. But someone can hardly claim this as an improvement of ones like Asoka.

The origin of the tree is India, Burma and Malaysia. This is a very slow-growing, small and evergreen erect tree that has a smooth and gray brown bark. The top of the tree is well shaped and compact. Usually, one can see the flowers almost throughout the year. But from the period of February to May, the plethora of orange and cherry clusters give the tree a view of absolute beauty. The clusters that stick very closely on to every branch and twig are consist of a lot of small flowers having long-tubes which open out into four oval lobes. They also have the appearance of Petals. They are of yellow when they are young, then they become orange and after that because of age and the effect of Sun`s rays, they get the colour of crimson. The flowers spread several long, half-white, half-crimson, stamens from a ring at the top of each tube. These give the flower clusters a hairy appearance. They also acquire a delicate perfume after the sun is set. The scimitar shaped pods are broad, stiff and leathery and their length is about 20 cm. The tree has a lot of useful medicinal properties as well. Some of the ailments of women can be cured with the juice obtained from boiling the bark. A pulp of blossoms can also be used as a remedy for dysentery.

Like Palas, Ashoka also have some religious values. People strongly believe that the founder of Buddhist religion and the doctrine of Nirvana, Sakyamuni, was born under an Ashoka tree. All the Buddhists worship this tree. It is respected by the Hindus as well because they believe that this is the symbol of love and also dedicated directly to the God of Love, Kama Deva. Because of this religious value, the Buddhists and Hindus plant the tree round their temples. Also on `Ashok Shasthi` day, the Bengali women eat the flower buds and the Hindu women strongly believe that they will be able to protect their children if they drink the water in which the flowers have lain.

We are often tempted to identify the tall, well-pruned trees in parks as "Asoka trees" but they are actually the `nettilingams' or the mast tree and known in botanical parlance as Polyalthia longifolia, of the family Annonaceae.

Majestic evergreen

Polyalthia longifolia Nettilingam

Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, Polyalthia longifolia is a tall, majestic evergreen tree with a straight trunk having shining, drooping leaves with a wavy margin. The trunk is slender with a compact symmetrical crown and the branches spread more or less at right angles from the stem, giving it a pyramidal shape.

The tall, straight trunks were formerly used for making masts in the days of sailing ships and hence the common name "mast tree."

The flowering season is from February to April, when star like green flowers appear, giving a hazy appearance to the tree.

The inconspicuous greenish yellow flowers found in fascicles are almost hidden amongst dense foliage. The clusters of ovoid fruits are at first green, turning fairly deep purple or black when ripe.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY The mast tree is often referred to as the Asoka tree

The soft and light wood is used for making barrels, packing cases, pencils, matches and for scaffolding and carriage shafts. In Malaysia, the tree is grown around cemeteries and is often associated with funerals and other mournful events.

Polyalthia longifolia is an excellent avenue tree planted in close rows. It is a favourite tree in the hands of horticulturists for manicured gardens and landscape architecture. Clamorous and squealing throngs of bats and flying foxes feed on the ripe fruits at night, dispersing the seeds. Festoons of leaves are often used to make arches or are strung across doors during religious ceremonies.

Then, what is the real Asoka? Saraca asoca of the family Caesalpiniaceae, is the `Asoka maram' which refers to the legendary Ashok Vatika, where Sita was kept in captivity. Native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Malaysia, it is also called "Sorrow-less tree" because ashoka means "sorrowless".

That is why the tree is regarded as a symbol of love and is dedicated to Kama Deva, who is known to kindle passion and love in the human heart.

Saraca asoca is a slow growing, small, evergreen tree with a smooth grey, brown bark. Though the flowers are seen throughout the year, it is from February till May that the profusion of orange and scarlet flowers transforms the tree into a startling beauty.

The clusters consist of numerous, long-tubed flowers, which open out into four lobes having the appearance of petals, which in fact is the calyx. At the summit of the corolla tubes, are the fairly long and conspicuous stamens.

These flowers are highly fragrant in the night. The young leaves are soft, red and limp and remain pendent even after attaining the full size. The red, straight pods are stiff, leathery and fleshy.

The bark of Saraca asoca contains the estrogenic compound ketosterol, which is effective against menorrhagia due to uterine fibroids and internal haemorrhoids and also enhances the restoration of the endometrium and stops bleeding.

Saraca asoca is a vital component in the ayurvedic medicine U-CAP, capsules used for uterine disorders.

The womenfolk of Chattisgarh boil the bark in cow's milk, add sugar and consume it once a day for three days and repeat the course after three months to prevent gynaecological disorders.

Numerous legends are attributed to this tree and it is sacred to the Buddhists and the Hindus who plant this tree around their temples.

Buddha is believed to have been born under this tree and Sita, wife of Rama, after abduction by Ravana, was confined in a garden among groves of Asoka trees. It is also seen sculpted on ancient Buddhist temples in Sanchi and Mathura.

Being a sacred tree, married Hindu women eat the flower buds of Saraca asoca on the "Ashok Shasthi day" to guard their children from grief and sorrow.

It is time we too spread the message of love by planting Asoka trees in our homes while our civic authorities fulfil their Singara Chennai mission by planting mast trees along avenues and in parks.

The leaves come in many different shades of green and have really pretty wavy edges.

Next time when you cross a nettilingam tree just call "adey nettilinga madaiya" and when you go to north india try to get the seed of the real asoka and try to plant it in Tamilnadu.  when it grows call it "oh, my dear Asoka"  ...  and call  that nasty tall Nettilingam tree as "Oh, fool the Nettilinga" 

அடித்த முறை நீங்கள் வட இந்தியா போகும்போது அசோகா வின் விதையையோ கன்றையோ கொண்டுவந்து தமிழ் நாட்டில் நடுங்கோ.

அது வளர்ந்ததும் "அழகான அன்பான அசோகா" என்று கூப்பிடுங்கோ. .. அந்த உயரமான அசிங்கம் பிடிச்ச மரத்தை பார்த்தா அடேய் நெட்டி லிங்க மடையன் என்று திட்டுங்கோ..

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Some of my friend's word in his site.

At this month's tree walk i learnt that the tree that i've always known to be the Ashoka isn't the ashoka after all! It really is the mast tree or the false ashoka, known to the botanically enlightened as the polyalthia longifolia. It is a really tall tree that can grow up to 60ft in height. It is pollinated by bats and is the host tree for the tailed jay butterfly. I must pay more attention to the ashoka trees .. oops false ashokas in my neighborhood to see if i can catch a glimse of either. 
http://ringsofsilverpv.blogspot.com/2009/08/false-ashoka-tree-mast-tree.html