Magnolia champaca, Champac, Michelia, Joy Perfume Tree

Magnolia champaca, known in English as champak, is a large evergreen tree in the family Magnoliaceae. It was previously classified as Michelia champaca. The plant is native to the temperate Himalayan region and is distributed throughout the subtropical and tropical countries such as India, South China, Indonesia, Maldives, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sumatra, and in India, it is highly dispersed in Eastern Himalayan tract and lower hills up to 3000 ft., Assam, Myanmar, Western Ghats, South India, and Bangladesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Bihar. Apart from Champak it is also known as Champac, Michelia, Joy Perfume Tree, Champak tree, calabash, champwood, Golden Champa, yellow jade orchid tree, fragrant Himalayan champaca, Champaca, Cempaka Merah, Yellow Champaka, Orange Chempaca, Chempaca Merah, Sapu, Cempaka Kuning, Orange Champak, Cempaka Putih and Orange Champaka.

 

The tree is known for its fragrant flowers, and its timber is used in woodworking. The tree has a wide range of uses, being harvested locally as a source of food, medicines, and a range of commodities. It is particularly appreciated for its essential oil and timber and is sometimes cultivated for these. The tree is also used in reforestation projects. Champaca is commonly cultivated as an ornamental and wayside tree throughout the tropics, being valued especially for its fragrant flowers, which are often used in religious ceremonies. In Theravada Buddhism, champaca is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi, by the seventeenth Buddha called “Aththadassi”. According to Tibetan beliefs, the Buddha of the next era will find enlightenment under the white flower canopy of the champaca tree.

Champak Facts

Plant Description

Champak tree is an evergreen or semi-deciduous, small to medium-sized tree that normally grows about 50 meters (160 ft.) or taller. Its trunk can be straight, close tapering, cylindrical, up to 1.9 meters (6.2 ft.) in diameter. The tree has smooth, thick, and grey to grayish-white bark with a cylindrical or conical crown composed of ascending branches. The inner bark is fibrous, yellow to brown colored. The plant is found growing in tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions. It grows in deep valleys, while some grow best in foothills. The plant prefers moist, deep, shady, loamy, or sandy loam textured well-drained, acidic fertile soil, so rocky and dry sites should be selected. The plant has well defined shallow and brittle tap root system.

Leaves

The yellow-flowered variety produces new leaves in March while the white-flowered variety later in the hot season. The process of formation of new leaves and buds continues up to November.  The leaf is lanceolate, sometimes ovate, finely acuminate, glabrous 10 – 35 cm long and 4 – 11 cm wide, spirally arranged, and slightly hairy on the underside. The leaf tip is short while the leaf base is cuneate to round. There are 14 – 23 pairs of secondary veins that can be seen more visibly on the underside of the leaf. The petiole is 1.5-3.5 cm long. Stipules (up to 6.5 cm long) is hairy and attached to the petiole for at least 0.7 – 3.9 cm long, slightly channeled, and usually pubescent; leaving a ring-like stipular scar on the branches when it fall. Leaves are more or less shining above and glabrescent underneath. Old Leaves are yellow-colored.

Flower

The color of the flower differs according to locality. The large, scented, yellow flowers grow singly, each from base of a leaf. The tree starts flowering after the age of 4-5 years, fruits are produced abundantly, occasionally periodic fruiting with 2-3 years interval. During the flowering period (June-July), the tree is covered with thousands of golden yellow flowers with powerful and diffusive fragrance. Flower is fragrant, light yellow when young becoming orange-yellow as it matures. Each flower is about 2 – 4.5 cm long, comprising of 5 tepals in several inconspicuous whorls where the outermost tepals are obovate and innermost tepals are narrower. Brachyblast is densely pubescent, with 2 (-3) nodes (0.5-2.5) cm long. Stamen is 0.6 – 0.8 cm long, with connective appendages up to 0.1 cm long. The tree flowers and fruits throughout the year. The flowers are protogynous and are pollinated by beetles, which feed on the stigma, pollen, nectar and secretion from the petals. The tree starts flowering at an early age, fruits are produced abundantly, sometimes periodic fruiting with 2-3 years interval.

Fruit

Fruit are borne on a spiral cluster (6 – 30 cm long) which hangs down. Each cluster consists of 6 – 40 individual fruit on a spike about 7.5-15 cm long. Each fruit is 1.5 – 2 cm long, woody and pale brown with large cream coloured lenticels. Ripe fruit splits open to reveal 2 – 6 seeds during September to October. Seeds are dark brown and angular, covered with red or pink flesh and hang freely on a thin white thread. A large quantity of seed is destroyed by birds and rodents.

Wood

Champak is basically a timber tree. The wood is yellowish to olive-brown, somewhat lustrous, smooth; straight-grained or slightly interlocked, medium-textured, light, and soft. The timber is moderately refractory but can be air or kiln-seasoned without difficulty or degradation if properly handled. However, the wood discolors slightly and is inclined to become dull. It is also liable to crack with improper care. Michelia are generally not very durable woods although they have been known to last for fairly long periods when used as posts or underwater. The sapwood is narrow and white. The heartwood is light yellowish-brown to olive-brown and somewhat lustrous, without characteristic odor or taste. The heartwood of this species is strong, durable, and capable of taking a high polish. The wood is light (specific gravity 0.53) and straight-grained; even- and medium-textured growth rings are distinct, being delimited by light lines of terminal parenchyma. The heartwood of Michelia spp. is refractory to treatment; side or end penetration is almost nil.

Different parts of Champak with ethnomedical information

Plant Parts	Uses
Dried root and bark	Abscesses, purgative
Flower and flower buds	Ulcers, skin disease wounds
Flower buds	Herbal preparation for diabetes
Flower oil	Cephalalgia, oetipthalmia, and gout
Flowers	Stimulant, antispasmodic, tonic, stomachic, bitter and cool remedies are used in dyspepsia, nausea, and fever.
Flowers	Anti-dote to snake and scorpion venoms.
Flowers	Fetid discharges from the nostrils.
Flowers	Vertigo, fetid discharges from the nostrils.
Fruits	Ulcers, skin disease wounds.
Leaves	Colic.
Root and bark	Purgative and in the treatment of inflammation, constipation and dysmenorrhea
Stem bark	Stimulant, expectorant, astringent and febrifuge.

 

Health benefits of Champak

Listed below are some of the popular health benefits of Champak

1. Gain physical strength

Man can live a healthy life if his body is strong and refreshed. Champak flower is considered the best medicine to strengthen the body. Dry and powder the champak flower in the shade and mix it with honey and eat it every morning to strengthen the body.

2. Relieve nervousness

Excessive heat and prolonged waking at night can cause nervousness. Make a decoction of champak flower and drink by adding palm candy, it will certainly cure nervousness.

3. Decreased bile

Heat, air, and water are the key ingredients for human activity. The body will be healthy only if these are in their proper condition.

In some people, increased body heat can cause vomiting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. If they drink champak flower infusion, biliary disease will decrease.

4. For masculinity

Impotence is caused by a number of factors. People with this deficiency can dry and powder the champak flower in the shade and drink the decoction both in the morning and in the evening to get rid of impotence.

5. For women

To get rid of the whitening problem of women, it is better to drink a decoction of champak flower daily.

6. Cure the flu

Climate change has caused the spread of many bacteria and viruses in the body of some people, leading to various diseases. To cure the fever caused by this virus and bacteria, dry the champak flower and make an infusion and drink it to cure the fever.

7. Illuminate eyesight

Those who work long hours in front of the computer will soon lose their eyesight. Their vision veins are watery. For this, if you make a decoction of champak flower and drink it with palm candy daily, your eyesight will become clearer.

8. Urinary problems

For urinary incontinence and urinary irritation, drink champak infusion in the morning and evening. Your urine will increase and help to cure urinary diseases.

9. Cure sexually transmitted diseases

People with viral diseases due to moral disorders can reduce the impact of sexually transmitted diseases if they dry and powder the champak flower and eat with honey twice a day.

Champak Medicinal uses for curing diseases

• Cure hematemesis: This is a condition where you have irritation of the lining of the stomach or the esophagus. Taking the extract of the plant, you can cure the condition and restore normalcy to the stomach.
• Treat Dysuria: People who have trouble or pain while passing urine will get relief by having the flower and its juice twice a day. Champak helps promote the flow of urine.
• Treat Pruritis: When you have this ailment, you get the urge to scratch. The skin irritation is not serious, and you can get relief by the use of frangipani juice on the skin. The moisturizing effect gives relief.
• Remove Boils: To deal with boils on the skin, use the crushed leaves on the site of the boils. Do this daily until the boils disappear.
• Provide relief from Carbuncles: You see carbuncles as red, painful boils connected together under the skin. This occurs due to the infection of the hair follicle and the resultant collection of pus under the skin results in the carbuncle. You can get relief for the carbuncle by the use of Golden Champa extract on the site of the carbuncle.
• Treat Infections: The antibacterial nature of the Champak helps prevent the incidence of infections.
• Promote spermatogenesis: Meiosis is the process for the creation of gametes. Meiosis that results in sperm formation is spermatogenesis. The Golden Champa tree helps the cell division process involved in spermatogenesis. Having the extract of the leaves once a week helps to improve the sperm count.
• Good for the heart: Champak acts on the LDL cholesterol and removes them from the blood. It makes the blood healthy and improves the working of the heart.
• Kill wasps: Get rid of wasps by placing some Champa flowers on the window sill. The wasps cannot stand the fragrance of the flowers.
• Antidote for poisons: You can make a drink out of the crushed flowers and have it as an antidote for poisoning.
• Anti-toxic agent: The extract of the flower acts on the toxins in the body and removes them. It helps promote good health by keeping the liver healthy.
• Expels worms: Use the juice of the flowers to get rid of the worms in your intestine. Drink the juice daily in the morning three times a week for two weeks. This will remove all the worms in your intestines and stomach.
• Gives tone to the stomach: Soak some flowers of the Champak plant in water. Drink one glass of this before each meal and your digestion will improve leaps and bounds. The digestion system will become strong, and your health will improve.
• Check the overproduction of bile: Overproduction of the bile creates an imbalance in the digestive system such as bile acid diarrhea. You can use the Champa flower and leaves decoction to prevent the overproduction of bile.
• Cures leprosy, skin diseases, and ulcers: Champak helps deal with the problems of skin disorders. Apply the extract of the Champa tree on the skin and wash it off with some warm water after ten minutes.
• Remove phlegm, a good remedy for cough and rheumatism: It helps remove the phlegm from the system and improve breathing. Take one cup of warm water and put two to three flowers in it. Let it soak for a while and then drink it. Find home remedies for cough.
• Promote menstrual flow: Flowers have a good action on women in that it helps improve the menstrual flow.
• Good laxative: It improves bowel movement and relieves the symptoms of constipation. Have a glass of the decoction prepared from the leaves of the champaca tree daily. You can see the improvement in a couple of days.
• Good to relieve stomach and intestinal cramps: All parts of the tree including the bark and roots help to relieve cramps. Make a decoction from the parts of the tree and drink it in the morning and evening. This will cure your cramps and prevent their recurrence.
• Treats indigestion, nausea, and fever: If you suffer from fever due to an infection or ailment, you can get relief by taking the tea prepared from the flowers of the Joy Perfume Tree. For nausea, keep the Joy Perfume Tree flower in the room of the sick patient.
• Vertigo or dizziness: For those who suffer from dizziness, the use of the flowers and juice prepared from the leaves of the Champak tree helps. Drink the extract mixed in a glass of water, and you will soon become normal.
• Headache, eye infections, and gout: For mild headaches, take the juice of the Golden Champa flowers. If you have an eye infection, place some crushed leaves on the eyes. Keep this poultice for ten minutes, both in the morning and the evening. The use of Champak tea will also help. Keep the paste of the leaves on the bones of your joints affected by gout. This will get rid of the pain, and the swelling will come down.
• Chapped feet: Put some water in which you soaked the leaves of the Champak plant on your chapped feet. This will make the skin tone better for the feet.

Traditional uses and benefits of Champak

• An infusion of bitter bark is consumed to reduce fever.
• Leaves are made into a tea to relieve cough and tonsillitis
• Flowers and buds are believed to have antiseptic properties and are applied externally to wounds or inflammation.
• The bark is used as a febrifuge.
• Decoction of the bark and leaves is given after childbirth.
• The flowers are used to treat leprosy.
• The juice of the leaves is used as a treatment against colic.
• Seeds are used to treat badly chapped skin.
• Various parts of champ have been widely used for anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-microbial, cardio-tonic, purgative, diaphoretic, stimulant, diuretic, and anti-leprotic purposes.
• Decoction of the bark may be used after childbirth as a protective medicine in Malaysia.
• Flowers and fruits are useful in dyspepsia, fever, and in kidney diseases.
• The juice of the leaves along with honey is an antidote for colic pain in infants.
• Decoction of the leaves is effective for treating arthritis, angina, and pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx, region behind the throat).
• For arthritis, crushed leaves are mixed with castor oil and applied on affected joints.
• Leaf juice is effective in treating intestinal worms.
• Leaves are used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia.
• A concoction of the flowers is used to treat nausea, fevers, and dyspepsia (pain or vague discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen caused due to gas formation).
• Flavonoids in the flowers make an excellent cure for rheumatism.
• Paste of the flowers is effective in treating rheumatism, gout, and vertigo.
• An extract of the flowers is rich in antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
• An extract of the flowers along with dexamethasone hastens the healing of the wounds.
• Flowers are effective as a plaster on the stomach to treat colic pain.
• A mixture of the unopened buds taken internally is effective in treating gonorrhea.
• Flowers and leaves are effective in treating ulcers.
• Flowers are effective in treating cardiac associated diseases, leprosy, post-partum protection, and in eye disorders.
• Powder of the bark is used as an antipyretic (reduce fever), and as a diuretic.
• An extract of the bark is used to treat diabetes-related complications.
• The bark is also effective in treating tumors.
• Seeds are effective in treating rheumatism and for healing the cracks in the soles of the feet.
• The flowers beaten up with oil are also applied to fetid discharges from the nostrils.
• The flowers are useful as a diuretic in renal diseases and in gonorrhea.
• Dried root and root-bark, mixed with curdled milk, are useful as an application to abscesses, clearing away or maturing the inflammation.
• Infusion of flowers used as a vaginal wash.
• It is used for cough, leucorrhea, abdominal distention, prostatitis, sunstroke.
• Decoction of the bark is an antitoxic agent, that expels worms and promotes the flow of urine.
• Infusion of the flowers is used to give tone to the stomach, check the overproduction of bile, cure leprosy, skin diseases, ulcers, and remove phlegm. It is a good remedy for cough and rheumatism.
• Flowers mixed with sesame oil are applied over the temples to take care of vertigo or dizziness.
• Perfumed oil prepared from the flowers is applied externally to take care of headaches, eye infections, and gout.
• The flower oil is useful in cephalalgia, ophthalmic, and gout.
• Root and bark are used in the treatment of inflammation, constipation, and dysmenorrhea.
• Flowers, flower buds, and fruits are useful in ulcers, skin disease wounds.
• Flower buds are commonly used by many traditional healers in most of the herbal preparations for diabetes.
• Flowers and fruits in combination with other drugs are recommended as an antidote to snake and scorpion venoms.

Other Facts

• In Theravada Buddhism, champaca is said to have been used as the tree for achieving enlightenment, or Bodhi, by the seventeenth Buddha called “Aththadassi.”
• According to Tibetan beliefs, the Buddha of the next era will find enlightenment under the white flower canopy of the champaca tree.
• In India, they are mostly used for worship at temples, whether at home or out and more generally worn in hair by girls and women as a means of beauty ornament as well as a natural perfume.
• Flowers are floated in bowls of water to scent the room, as a fragrant decoration for bridal beds, and for garlands.
• The tree was traditionally used to make fragrant hair and massage oils.
• It has a finely textured, dark brown and olive-colored wood, which is used in furniture, cabinetwork, carvings, turnery and pattern making; it has also been used for cement-bonded wood-wool board.
• Champak is cultivated by specialty plant nurseries as an ornamental plant, for its form as an ornamental tree, as a dense screening hedge, and for its fragrant flowers.
• The tree is used to reforest badly eroded areas in Java.
• Yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.
• The leaves of champ are also used to raise silkworms.
• It is also suitable for plywood for tea chests, packing cases, boxes, battery separators, and pencils.

 

References

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