Thursday, 28 May 2026

Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders

Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders

MOH-noh-on -- Greek: monos (single), oon (egg) -- referring to the single-seeded fruit ... compiled from web
lon-jee-FOH-lee-um -- long leaves ... Dave's Botanary
commonly known as: ashok, cemetery tree, false ashok, Indian fir tree, Indian mast tree, Madras ashoka • Assamese: দেৱদাৰু debdaru, উনাবৈ unboi • Bengali: দেবদারু debdaru • Dogri: मिथक अशोक mithak ashok, राम अशोक ram ashok • Gujarati: આસોપાલવ aasopalav • Haryanvi: अशोक ashok • Hindi: अशोक ashok, असोग asog, देबदार debdar • Kannada: ಕಂಬದ ಮರ kambada mara, ಮದ್ರಾಸ್ ಅಶೊಕ madras ashoka, ಪುಂಗು pungu, ಉಬ್ಬಿನ ಮರ ubbina mara • Konkani: अशोक ashok • Malayalam: അരണമരം aranamaram, അശോകം ashokam • Manipuri: ꯗꯦꯕꯗꯥꯔ debdar • Marathi: अशोक ashok, आसुपाला asupala • Nepali: नक्कली अशोक nakkalee ashok • Odia: ଦେବଦାରୁ debadaru • Rajasthani: आसापाला asapala, अशोक ashok • Sanskrit: अशोक ashoka, आसोपालव asopalava, देवदारु devadaru • Santali: ᱫᱮᱵᱽ ᱫᱟᱨᱮ deb dare • Tamil: அசோகம் acokam, செயலை ceyalai, காழ்கோளி kaḻkoli, கேலிகம் kelikam, நெட்டிலிங்கம் nettilinkam, பாய்மரவிருட்சம் pay-mara-virutcam, யுக்மபத்திரிகை yukma-pattirikai • Telugu: అశోకము ashokamu, దేవదారు daevadaaru, నరమామిడి naramaamidi, నెత్తి లింగం netthi lingam • Urdu: اسوگ asog, ديبدار debdar
botanical names: Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders ... homotypic synonyms: Guatteria longifolia (Sonn.) Wall. • Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites • Unona altissima Russell ex Wall. • Unona longifolia (Sonn.) Dunal • Uvaria altissima Pennant • Uvaria longifolia Sonn. ... and more at POWO, retrieved 24 May 2026
Bibliography / etymology / notes
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about "where" could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.
~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
ashok, false ashok
  • "ashok" is the most popular name for this species, despite the fact that the true ashok is "Sita Ashok", a religious tree, having mentions in epics and scriptures. Therefore, the name "false ashok" too is given to this species to clarify the common confusion ... Flowers of India, retrieved May 24, 2026
cemetery tree
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Subrahmanya, Prasad K - Exploration and elucidation of traditional medicinal plants of erstwhile Tulunadu and surrounding area of Kerala and Karnataka :: Chapter 4 :: Shodhganga - a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
  • This nickname is highly relevant across India, especially in the Tulunadu region (coastal Karnataka and Kerala) that Dr. Prasad K. Subrahmanya investigated. During the colonial era, British and Portuguese planners heavily introduced this tree around churches, convent schools, and adjacent churchyards. Over generations, local communities frequently saw rows of these towering "masts" framing the graveyards behind churches, leading directly to the English label "Cemetery Tree" catching on in regional floras. ... compiled from web.
Indian fir tree
  • Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia ... (accessed: May 24, 2026)
  • People living in the flat, hot plains of India coined the name Indian fir tree because of its tall, narrow, symmetrical cone shape, which closely mimics the look of a coniferous fir tree found in cold, mountainous climates. Since true fir trees cannot survive the tropical heat of mainland India, Monoon longifolium became the lowlands' natural substitute for that classic, stately mountain silhouette. This is also how the name Debdaru (Tree of the Gods) came to be associated with this species in various regional languages of India. ... compiled from web
Indian mast tree
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... University of Madras. Tamil lexicon. [Madras], University of Madras, 1924-1936.
  • Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia ... (accessed: May 24, 2026)
  • The name Indian mast tree comes directly from seafaring history. Because the native wild variety grows exceptionally tall, straight, and flexible, its timber was highly prized by shipbuilders. In the days of sailing ships, the straight trunks of this tree were harvested specifically to make the masts for ships navigating the Indian Ocean. ... compiled from web.
Madras ashoka
  • Imran Baig - Plants of Mahatma Gandhi Botanical Garden - A biodiversity heritage site ... (downloaded: Nov 17, 2023)
  • Madras Ashoka is a highly historically significant regional name! The name is widely documented in South Indian botanical literature — particularly in Karnataka and Kerala — as the preferred Kannada and Tulu common name. During the British Raj, the Madras Presidency was a massive administrative territory that covered not just modern Tamil Nadu, but also coastal Andhra, parts of Odisha, parts of Kerala, and the Tulunadu / coastal Karnataka region (which fell under the South Canara district of the Madras Presidency). The British colonial government heavily cultivated, propagated, and distributed Monoon longifolium out of major hub gardens in Madras (such as the Agri-Horticultural Society of Madras). Because the saplings were distributed across the presidency from Madras for urban avenue lining, railway lines, and government bungalows - the locals in outlying districts (like Tulunadu) naturally associated the incoming plant with the capital city, naming it the "Madras Ashoka". ... compiled from web.
~~~~~ ASSAMESE ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (অসমীয়া) ... spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
দেৱদাৰু debdaru
উনাবৈ unboi
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Flora of Assam Vol I (Part I) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das
  • Many thanks to Monoj Nath for help with this name ... facebook
~~~~~ BENGALI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali (বাংলা) ... spoken in: West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
দেবদারু debdaru
~~~~~ DOGRI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (डोगरी) ... spoken in: Jammu & Kashmir ... spoken by the Dogras
मिथक अशोक mithak ashok, राम अशोक ram ashok
  • Many thanks to OM Prakash Vidyarthi for help with these names ... facebook
~~~~~ GUJARATI ~~~~~
written in: Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) ... spoken in: Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
આસોપાલવ aasopalav
~~~~~ HARYANVI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हरियाणवी or हरयाणवी) ... spoken in: Haryana, Delhi
अशोक ashok
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Haryana Forest Flora - A Comprehensive Database of Ligneous Plants of Haryana (India) ... (accessed: May 27, 2026)
~~~~~ HINDI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हिन्दी) ... spoken in: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
अशोक ashok
असोग asog, देबदार debdar
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) ... spoken in: Karnataka
ಕಂಬದ ಮರ kambada mara, ಮದ್ರಾಸ್ ಅಶೊಕ madras ashoka
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Subrahmanya, Prasad K - Exploration and elucidation of traditional medicinal plants of erstwhile Tulunadu and surrounding area of Kerala and Karnataka :: Chapter 4 :: Shodhganga - a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET ... ಕಂಬದ ಮರ kambada mara (pole tree) is due to its columnar growth and much use of its stem as pole.
  • ಮದ್ರಾಸ್ ಅಶೊಕ madras ashoka is a highly historically significant regional name! The name is widely documented in South Indian botanical literature — particularly in Karnataka and Kerala — as the preferred Kannada and Tulu common name. During the British Raj, the Madras Presidency was a massive administrative territory that covered not just modern Tamil Nadu, but also coastal Andhra, parts of Odisha, parts of Kerala, and the Tulunadu / coastal Karnataka region (which fell under the South Canara district of the Madras Presidency). The British colonial government heavily cultivated, propagated, and distributed Monoon longifolium out of major hub gardens in Madras (such as the Agri-Horticultural Society of Madras). Because the saplings were distributed across the presidency from Madras for urban avenue lining, railway lines, and government bungalows - the locals in outlying districts (like Tulunadu) naturally associated the incoming plant with the capital city, naming it the "Madras Ashoka". ... compiled from web.
ಪುಂಗು pungu
ಉಬ್ಬಿನ ಮರ ubbina mara
~~~~~ KONKANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (कोंकणी) / Kannada (ಕೊಂಕಣಿ) / Malayalam (കൊങ്കണി) / Perso-Arabic (کونکنی) / Romi (Konknni) ... spoken in: Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat
अशोक ashok
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
written in: Malayalam (മലയാളം) ... spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep
അരണമരം aranamaram
അശോകം ashokam
~~~~~ MANIPURI ~~~~~
written in: Meiteilon (ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ), Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Manipur ... other names for this language: Meetei
ꯗꯦꯕꯗꯥꯔ debdar
~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (मराठी) ... spoken in: Maharashtra, Karnataka
अशोक ashok, आसुपाला asupala
~~~~~ NEPALI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (नेपाली) ... spoken in: Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim
नक्कली अशोक nakkalee ashok
  • Many thanks to Saroj Kumar Kasaju for help with this name ... eFloraofIndia
~~~~~ ODIA ~~~~~
written in: Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ) ... spoken in: Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
ଦେବଦାରୁ debadaru
~~~~~ RAJASTHANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (राजस्थानी) ... spoken in: Rajasthan
आसापाला asapala, अशोक ashok
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Banswara - Forest Department - Rajasthan Government ... (downloaded: Sep 5, 2020)
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Bundi - Forest Department - Rajasthan Government ... (downloaded: Sep 21, 2020)
~~~~~ SANSKRIT ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (संस्कृतम्) ... used all over India by priests and scholars
अशोक ashoka, आसोपालव asopalava, देवदारु devadaru
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... FRLHT & NMPB - Indian Medicinal Plants Database ... (accessed: May 26, 2026)
  • This species has no valid Sanskrit name. It has no mentions in the religious epics or Vedic scriptures, no spiritual rituals, and no Ayurvedic formulae anywhere in the classic ancient Sanskrit texts. This species is a tropical native of the far south that only became famous across mainland India during the British Raj. Beyond this plant's role as a standard avenue tree, it gained importance for framing architectural landmarks, ancient heritage sites, modern monuments, and expansive public gardens. Modern digital databases have systematically assigned Sanskrit names belonging to the ancient identities of India's true native forest trees to this species. Most of the them are of the true Sita Ashok (Saraca asoca) and those of the Himalayan Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara). ... personal comments and facts compiled from the web.
~~~~~ SANTALI ~~~~~
written in: Ol Chiki (ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ), Bengali (সাঁওতালী), Odia (ସାନ୍ତାଳୀ), Devanagari (सान्ताली), Roman ... spoken in: Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha
ᱫᱮᱵᱽ ᱫᱟᱨᱮ deb dare
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) ... spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
அசோகம் acokam, செயலை ceyalai, காழ்கோளி kaḻkoli, கேலிகம் kelikam, நெட்டிலிங்கம் nettilinkam, பாய்மரவிருட்சம் pay-mara-virutcam, யுக்மபத்திரிகை yukma-pattirikai
  • for Indian mast tree / Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... University of Madras. Tamil lexicon. [Madras], University of Madras, 1924-1936.
~~~~~ TELUGU ~~~~~
written in: Telugu ( తెలుగు) ... spoken in: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry
అశోకము ashokamu, దేవదారు daevadaaru, నరమామిడి naramaamidi, నెత్తి లింగం netthi lingam
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... Flora Andhrika - Plant Wealth of Andhra Pradesh, India ... (accessed: May 26, 2026)
  • for Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites ... FRLHT's ENVIS Centre on Medicinal Plants ... (accessed: May 26, 2026)
~~~~~ URDU ~~~~~
written in: Urdu (اردو) ... spoken in: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
اسوگ asog, ديبدار debdar
~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
Native: Kerala, Tamil Nadu
Cultivated: Rest of mainland, including her islands
  • compiled from web
~~~~~ Created on: 19:36 24-05-2026 ¦ Last updated: 23:31 28-05-2026 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~
Annonaceae evergreen tree "Monoon longifolium" "Guatteria longifolia" "Polyalthia longifolia" "Unona altissima" "Unona longifolia" "Uvaria altissima" "Uvaria longifolia" "false ashoka" "Indian fir" "mast tree" "telegraph pole tree"
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Monoon longifolium (Sonn.) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders

MOH-noh-on -- Greek: monos (single), oon (egg) -- referring to the single-seeded fruit ... compiled from web lon-jee-FOH-lee-um -- ...

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