herb is one of the 69 herbal plants promoted by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH). In Vietnam, the plant's young leaves are consumed as vegetables, and its old leaves and mature fruit are used in traditional medicine for reducing glucose in blood. The seeds have narcotic properties. Chemistry Chemical compounds that have been isolated from the extract include corosolic acid, lager-stroemin, flosin B, and reginin A. Medicinal uses Giant Crape Myrtle's seeds are narcotic, bark and leaves are purgative, roots are astringent, stiumlant and febrifuge (fever removing). Decoction of leaves is used in diabetes. In Manipur, its fruit is used locally applied for apathy of the mouth Recognition Pride of India or Tāmhan in Marathi is recognised as the state flower of the state of Maharashtra in India. In Hindu mythology, it is said that worshipping Lord Brahma results in blossoming of these flowers of Giant Crape Myrtle and Banaba tree and as such it brings prosperity to the house. In Buddhism In Theravada Buddhism, this plant is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi by the eleventh Buddha ("Paduma – පදුම"), and the twelfth Buddha (Naarada – නාරද)t. The plant is known as මුරුත (Murutha) in Sinhala and Mahaasona – මහාසොණ in Sanskrit. Gallery References Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 3: 10. External links Flora of Pakistan: Lagerstroemia speciosa speciosa Flora of tropical Asia Medicinal plants of Asia Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Taxa named by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon Symbols of Maharashtra