Neem (Azadirachta indica, syn. Melia azadirachta L., Antelaea azadirachta (L.) Adelb.) is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Other vernacular names include Azad Dirakht (Persian), DogonYaro (Nigerian), Margosa, Neeb (Arabic), Nimtree, Nimba (Sanskrit), Vepu, Vempu, Vepa (Telugu), Bevu in Kannada, Veppam in (Tamil) and Indian-lilac. In East Africa it is also known as Mwarobaini (Kiswahili), what means: the tree of the 40. It is said, that it treats 40 different diseases. In scientific classification, synonymy is the existence of multiple systematic names to label the same organism. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Genera See text The Meliaceae, or the Mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly tropical trees and shrubs in the order Sapindales, characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules and by syncarpous, usually bisexual flowers borne in panicles, cymes, spikes, or clusters. ... Binomial name Azadirachta indica A.Juss. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... Farsi redirects here. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... “Telugu” redirects here. ... “Kannada” redirects here. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Kiswahili is an alternative name for the Swahili language, derived from the expression lugha ya Kiswahili, which is what speakers of Swahili call their language. ...

Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15-20 m, rarely to 35-40 m. It is evergreen but under severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves. The branches are wide spread. The fairly dense crown is roundish or oval and may reach the diameter of 15-20 m in old, free-standing specimens. The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ...

The trunk is relatively short, straight and may reach a diameter of 1.2 m. The bark is hard, fissured or scaly, and whitish-grey to reddish-brown. The sapwood is greyish-white and the heartwood reddish when first exposed to the air becoming reddish-brown after exposure. The root system consists of a strong taproot and well developed lateral roots. Image File history File links 3_products. ... Image File history File links 3_products. ...

The alternate, pinnate leaves are 20-40 cm long, with 20-31 medium to dark green leaflets about 3-8 cm long. The terminal leaflet is often missing. The petioles are short. Very young leaves are reddish to purplish in colour. The shape of mature leaflets is more or less asymmetric and their margins are dentate with the exception of the base of their basiscopal half, which is normally very strongly reduced and cuneate. Look up Pinnate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Leaf of Dog Rose (Rosa canina), showing the petiole and two leafy stipules In botany, the petiole is the small stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. ...

The flowers (white and fragrant) are arranged axillary, normally more-or-less drooping panicles which are up to 25 cm long. The inflorescences, which branch up to the third degree, bear 150-250 flowers. An individual flower is 5-6 mm long and 8-11 mm wide. Protandrous, bisexual flowers and male flowers exist on the same individual (polygamous). For other uses, see Flower (disambiguation). ... White-fruited Rowan (Sorbus glabrescens) corymb; note the branched structures holding the fruits. ... Red clover inflorescence (spike) An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers on a branch of a plant. ... Protantrism exists across many phyla of living organisms. ...

A Neem Blossom at Guntur, India

The fruit is a glabrous olive-like drupe which varies in shape from elongate oval to nearly roundish, and when ripe are 1.4-2.8 x 1.0-1.5 cm. The fruit skin (exocarp) is thin and the bitter-sweet pulp (mesocarp) is yellowish-white and very fibrous. The mesocarp is 0.3-0.5 cm thick. The white, hard inner shell (endocarp) of the fruit encloses one, rarely two or three, elongated seeds (kernels) having a brown seed coat. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article is about a city in India. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... The peach is a typical drupe (stone fruit) In botany, a drupe is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp or skin and mesocarp or flesh) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ...

Commercial plantations of the trees are not considered profitable. Around 50,000 neem trees have been planted near Mecca to provide shelter for the pilgrims.^[1] This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... This article is about a particular group of seventeenth-century European colonists of North America. ...

The neem tree is very similar in appearance to the Chinaberry, all parts of which are extremely poisonous. Binomial name Melia azedarach L. The Chinaberry or Bead Tree (Melia azedarach; syn. ...

• Close up photograph of neem seeds

Neem flowers in closeup

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Ecology

The neem tree is noted for its drought resistance. Normally it thrives in areas with sub-arid to sub-humid conditions, with an annual rainfall between 400 and 1200 mm. It can grow in regions with an annual rainfall below 400 mm, but in such cases it depends largely on the ground water levels. Neem can grow in many different types of soil, but it thrives best on well drained deep and sandy soils (pH 6.2-7.0). It is a typical tropical/subtropical tree and exists at annual mean temperatures between 21-32 °C. It can tolerate high to very high temperatures. It does not tolerate temperature below 4 °C (leaf shedding and death may ensue). but Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Soil is a complex mixture of materials, principally ground up rock and water. ...

Chemical compounds

The active principles of the plant were brought to the attention of natural products scientists in 1942 when Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, while working at the Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory at Delhi University, for the first time extracted three bitter compounds from neem oil, which he provisionally named as nimbin, nimbinin, and nimbidin respectively.^[2]-1... For a List of scientists, see: List of anthropologists List of astronomers List of biologists List of chemists List of computer scientists List of economists List of engineers List of geologists List of inventors List of mathematicians List of meteorologists List of physicists Scientist pairs List of scientist pairs See... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui (1897-1994) was the greatest ever Pakistani luminary in the sphere of science and scientific research, an eminent literary personality, a painter par excellence, and a great connoisseur of music. ... University of Delhi,New Delhi The University of Delhi is a university in India. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Usage

Neem Active Tooth Paste

In India, the tree is variously known as "Divine Tree", "Heal All", "Nature's Drugstore", "Village Pharmacy" and "Panacea for all diseases". Products made from neem have proven medicinal properties, being anthelmintic, antifungal, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-infertility. It is considered a major component in Ayurveda (Devanagari: आयुर्वेद ) and is particularly prescribed for skin disease (Puri, 1999). Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 522 pixelsFull resolution (886 × 578 pixel, file size: 173 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Michael Garten, http://www. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 522 pixelsFull resolution (886 × 578 pixel, file size: 173 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Michael Garten, http://www. ... Shirodhara, one of the techniques of Ayurveda Ayurveda (Devanagari: ) or Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent. ... Rigveda manuscript in Devanagari (early 19th century) DevanāgarÄ« (देवनागरी — in English pronounced ) (ISCII – IS13194:1991) [1] is an abugida alphabet used to write several Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Bihari, Bhili, Konkani, Bhojpuri and Nepali from Nepal. ...

• Neem twigs are used for brushing teeth in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This practice is perhaps one of the earliest and most effective forms of dental care.
• All parts of the tree (seeds, leaves, flowers and bark) are used for preparing many different medical preparation.
• Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, shampoo, balms and creams). Neem Oil is useful for skin care such as acne, and keeping skin elasticity.
• Besides its use in traditional Indian medicine the neem tree is of great importance for its anti-desertification properties and possibly as a good carbon dioxide sink.
• Practictioners of traditional Indian medicine recommend that patients suffering from Chicken Pox sleep on neem leaves.
• Neem Gum is used as a bulking agent and for the preparation of special purpose food (those for diabetics).

This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Horticultural usages

Neem is a source of environment-friendly biopesticides. Among the isolated neem constituents, limonoids (such as Azadirachtin) are effective in insect growth-regulating activity. The unique feature of neem products is that they do not directly kill the pests, but alter the life-processing behavior in such a manner that the insect can no longer feed, breed or undergo metamorphosis.^[3] However, this does not mean that the plant extracts are harmful to all insects. Since, to be effective, the product has to be ingested, only the insects that feed on plant tissues succumb. Those that feed on nectar or other insects (such as butterflies, bees, and ladybugs) hardly accumulate significant concentrations of neem products. A cropduster spreading pesticide. ... Neem (Azadirachta indica, syn. ... Limonoids are phytochemicals, abundant in citrus fruit and other plants of the classes Rutaceae and Meliaceae. ... Azadirachtin is a chemical compound belonging to the limonoids. ... For other uses of the term butterfly, see butterfly (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Western honey bee and Bee (disambiguation). ... Subfamilies Chilocorinae Coccidulinae Coccinellinae Epilachninae Scymininae Sticholotidinae etc. ...

Uses in pest and disease control

Neem is deemed very effective in the treatment of scabies although only preliminary scientific proof exists which still has to be corroborated, and is recommended for those who are sensitive to permethrin, a known insecticide which might be an irritant. Also, the scabies mite has yet to become resistant to neem, so in persistent cases neem has been shown to be very effective. There is also anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness in treating infestations of head lice in humans. It is also very good^{[citation needed]} for treating worms (soak the branches and leaves in lukewarm water and then drink it). Permethrin is a common synthetic chemical, widely used as an insecticide and acaricide and as an insect repellent. ... It has been suggested that ovicide be merged into this article or section. ... The head louse Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are one of the many varieties of sucking lice (singular louse) specialized to live on different areas of various animals. ...

The oil is also used in sprays against fleas in cats and dogs. For other uses, see Flea (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ...

Culinary use

The tender shoots and flowers of the neem tree are eaten as a vegetable in India. Neem flowers are very popular for their use in Ugadi Pachadi (soup-like pickle)^recipe which is made on Ugadi day in South India. A soup like dish called Veppampoo Rasam (translated as 'juice of neem flower') made of the flower of neem is prepared in Tamil Nadu. For other uses, see Vegetable (disambiguation). ... Ugadi (Telugu: ఉగాది, Kannada: ಉಗಾದಿ) (literally - the start of an era) is the new years day for the people of the Deccan region of India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ...

Neem is also used in parts of mainland Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia (where it is known as sadao or sdao), Laos (where it is called kadao) and Vietnam (where it is called sầu đâu).^recipe. Even lightly cooked, the flavour is quite bitter and thus the food is not enjoyed by all inhabitants of these nations, though it is believed to be good for one's health. Neem Gum is a rich source of protein. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Neem Gum is a natural extracted from Neem Tree by induced or natural injury. ...

References