Azadirachta indica

A. indica is a medium to large, deep-rooted, evergreen tree, to 15(30) m tall, with a round, large crown to 10(20) m in diameter;branches spreading;bole branchless for up to 7.5 m, up to 90 cm in diameter, sometimes fluted at base;bark moderately thick, with small, scattered tubercles, deeply fissured and flaking in old trees, dark grey outside and reddish inside, with colourless, sticky foetid sap. Leaves alternate, crowded near the end of branches, simply pinnate, 20- 40 cm long, light green, with 2 pairs of glands at the base, otherwise glabrous;petiole 2-7 cm long, subglabrous;rachis channeled above;leaflets 8-19, very short petioluled, alternate proximally and more or less opposite distally, ovate to lanceolate, sometimes falcate (2) 3.5-10 ? 1.2-4 cm, glossy, serrate;apex acuminate;base unequal. Inflorescence an axillary, many-flowered thyrsus, up to 30 cm long;bracts minute and caducous;flowers bisexual or male on same tree, actinomorphic, small, pentamerous, white or pale yellow, slightly sweet scented;calyx lobes imbricate, broadly ovate and thin, puberulous inside;petals free, imbricate, spathulate, spreading, ciliolate inside. Fruit 1 (or 2)-seeded drupe, ellipsoidal, 1-2 cm long, greenish, greenish-yellow to yellow or purple when ripe;exocarp thin, mesocarp pulpy, endocarp cartilaginous;seed ovoid or spherical;apex pointed;testa thin, composed of a shell and a kernel (sometimes 2 or 3 kernels), each about half of the seedÕs weight (Orwa et al., 2009).