Tamil name: அசோகா மரம்
English name: Sita Ashoka
Scientific name: Saraca indica
Family: Caesalpinaceae
Saraca indica is a small evergreen tree. The leaves are paripinnate with 6 to 12 leaflets, oblong and rigidly sub-coriaceus. The flowers are orange or orange-yellow, turning vermillion, very fragrant in dense axillary corymbs. The fruit is a pod flat, leathery with 4 to 8 ellipsoid-oblong and compressed seeds. The Asokait is a medium-sized evergreen tree with large flame-like scarlet flowers that appear clusters. It is prized for its beautiful foliage and fragrant flowers. Its deep green leaves are copper-colored when young and hang placidly from the branches. It is considered sacred by Hindus and Buddhists and is a common motif in Indian iconography and literature. It also has medicinal uses.