Description
Mimusops elengi, the bakul tree or Spanish cherry, is a large, slow-growing evergreen tree of the family Sapotaceae, native to the tropical forests of the Indian subcontinent, the Andaman Islands, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. The tree is widely planted in temple gardens and urban avenues for its dense canopy and intensely fragrant, small, white star-shaped flowers — known as Bakula in Sanskrit and celebrated in classical Indian poetry for their fragrance. The bark — Molsari Chaal — is documented in the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam as a primary Dantya (dental) herb, incorporated in preparations for gum strengthening, tooth sensitivity, and oral hygiene. The bark contains saponins and tannins documented for astringent dental applications. The dried flowers are also used in temple ritual and are listed in Ayurvedic formulations for external application.
