Pendang, Kedah, Malaysia.Fruit pods. The tall tree develops spectacular, meter-long curved scimitar-like pods which are held high up above the leaves and on a dark windy night eerily rattle and sway.
Oroxylum indicum (L.) Benth. ex Kurz . Bignoniaceae. CN: [Bonglai, Bonglai kayu, Bolai, Bolai kayu, Kulai, Merkulai, Merulia, Merlai, Boli, Boloi, Bongloi, Beka, Beka kampong, Bikir], Midnight horror, Indian trumpet flower, Broken bones, Midday marvel, Oroxylum. Native of Asia Temperate, Asia Tropical and Malesia region. Tree to 18 m tall. Habitat - lowland forest, often near villages and rice field. Uses in folk medicine; fruit and shoots edible. The tree is a night-bloomer and flowers are adapted to natural pollination by bats. The plant has been claimed to be able to act as an anti-tumour, an antimalarial and antimicrobial. It is believed to have been prescribed by Malays to treat toothache, rheumatism, wound, splenomegaly, gastralgia, dysentery, cholera, loss of appetite and fever. Any part of the plant may be used for making a decoction for external uses in childbirth.Synonym(s):
Arthrophyllum ceylanicum Miq.
Arthrophyllum reticulatum Blume ex Miq.
Bignonia indica L.
Bignonia lugubris Salisb.
Bignonia pentandra Lour.
Bignonia quadripinnata Blanco
Bignonia tripinnata Noronha
Bignonia tuberculata Roxb. ex DC.
Calosanthes indica (L.) Blume
Hippoxylon indica (L.) Raf.
Oroxylum flavum Rehder
Spathodea indica (L.) Pers.Ref. and suggested reading:FRIM Flora Database
www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-317739www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?26046en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oroxylum_indicumpencilandleaf.blogspot.com/2008/08/leaf-of-day-midnight-h...