Ashoka Tree

Saraca indica, commonly known as asoka-tree, Ashok or simply Asoca, is a plant belonging to the Caesalpinioideae subfamily of the Fabaceae family. The original plant specimen from which Carl Linnaeus described the species came from Java, but the name S. indica has been generally incorrectly applied to S. asoca since 1869. It can be distinguished from S. asoca by its non-clasping bracteoles, a lower number of ovules, slightly smaller pods, and a more eastern geographic distribution.