Butter Tree. Mahua, Illipe
Madhuca longifolia

Family: Sapotaceae

What it is like

Madhuca longifolia is a deciduous Tree growing to 16 m (52ft) by 14 m (46ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bats. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 16

Where it is found

Margins of tropical and subtropical forests at elevations up to 200 metres in Nepal. Deciduous forests and dry sal plain forests. The tree is usually found scattered in pastures and cultivated fields in central India.

E. Asia - India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Himalayas, India*, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, SE Asia, Singapore, Sri Lanka*

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

The fragrant fleshy flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. Rich in nectar, they are used as a sweetener and a source of sugar. They can also be dried for later use. The dried flowers can be powdered and added to flour. Excessive amounts can be intoxicating. Both the ripe and the unripe fruit can be eaten. The outer fruit coat is eaten as a vegetable, whilst the fleshy cotyledons are dried and ground into a meal. The yellow fruit is about 5cm long. An oil expressed from the seed is used both as a substitute for and an adulterant of ghee. The seeds are a source of illipe butter, used in making margarine and chocolate. The oil is of low quality. The leaves are edible.

Oil: Oil

Medicine

Rating: 2

The flowers are regarded as cooling, tonic and demulcent. They are used in the treatment of coughs, colds and bronchitis. The bark is used medicinally in the treatment of leprosy. A decoction of the bark is given to diabetic patients in Nepal. It is also used externally to treat itchy skin and bleeding gums. The oil from the seeds is used in the treatment of skin diseases.

Leprosy: Used to treat leprosy - a chronic bacterial infection of the skin and superficial nerves (in the skin) caused by Mycobacterium leprae.

Other

Rating: 3

Agroforestry Uses: The tree has a large spreading superficial root system that holds soil together. It is planted on wasteland with hard lateritic soils in India. The seed cake has been used as fertilizer. Other Uses: The seed residue, after the oil has been extracted, is used for ridding lawns of worms. The de-fatted seed kernels contain 26 - 50 % saponin. The oil from the seeds is used to treat other seeds against pest infestation. A low quality of oil is extracted form the seeds. Consisting principally of palmitic and stearic acids, it is mainly used in making soap and candles. Tannin is obtained from the bark. The heartwood is reddish brown. The wood is strong, very hard, very heavy and durable. It takes a fine finish. It is used for house construction, furniture, naves and felloes of cartwheels, door and window frames. The wood is used as a fuel.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

A plant of the subtropics to the hot tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. Able to resist some frost, it grows in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 2 - 46°c. It grows best where the mean annual rainfall is between 550 - 1,500mm. Requires a sunny position. Prefers a deep loamy or sandy-loam soil with good drainage. It also occurs on shallow bouldery, clayey and calcareous soils. Established plants are drought resistant. A long-lived tree, it commences bearing when about 10 years old. A full grown tree can produce up to 90 kg of flowers in a year. Trees coppice well if they are felled when dormant in the hot season. They can be worked on 25 - 30 year coppice cycle to produce a mean annual increment of 3 - 5 cubic metres/ha.

Propagating it: Seed - propagated by direct seeding, seedlings or stumps. Seeds should be sown when fresh in long polypots to accommodate the long taproot. Seedlings should be ready to plant in 2-4 months, or can be maintained for longer with regular root pruning. Seedlings are frost tender. 1-year-old stumps establish more successfully than bare root seedlings. Seeds are produced plentifully every second or third year. They lose viability within a short period and the oily fruit should be sown directly in the field as the seeds become available.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Indian butter tree, Elloopei, Hippe, Illipa, Illupei, Illuppa, Illuppai, Ilpa, Ippa, Kanzaw, Kuligam, Mahuwa, Mauha, Mee, Meek, Meze, Mi, Moha, Mohwa tree, Mowra butter tree, Mousey mi, Myitzu-thaka-natpan, Pohon nyatuh india, Poonam, South India Mahua, Ta-laing-gaung,

Synonyms

Bassia latifolia Roxb. Bassia longifolia L. Madhuca indica J.F.Gmel. Madhuca latifolia (Roxb.) J.F.MacBr.