View source for Moringa oleifera

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Moringa oleifera
|accepted_authority=Lamarck in J. Lamarck et al.
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl.
|place=1: 398. 1785
|year=1785
}}
|common_names=Drumstick or horseradish or Ben tree
|basionyms={{Treatment/ID/Basionym
|name=Guilandina moringa
|authority=Linnaeus
|publication_title=Sp. Pl.
|publication_place=1: 381. 1753
}}
|synonyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Hyperanthera moringa
|authority=(Linnaeus) Vahl
}}
|hierarchy=Moringaceae;Moringa;Moringa oleifera
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Moringaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Moringa]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>species</small>[[Moringa oleifera]]</div></div>
|volume=Volume 7
|mention_page=
|treatment_page=page 168
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Plants </b>1–10 m, to 40 cm diam. <b>Roots</b> tuberous when young, woody with age. <b>Bark</b> pale gray or tan, smooth or finely rugose. <b>Stems</b> often canelike, becoming pendent with age, glabrous or finely puberulent. <b>Leaves</b> with pungent odor of horseradish; 30–60 cm, leaflets distributed on 4–8 pairs of pinnae; pinnae largest near base of leaf, 2 or 3 pinnate; leaflets 75–150, distalmost pairs represented by pairs of single leaflets along main rachis; blades bright to dark green, (0.5–)1–2(–3) × (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–2) mm, base rounded to cuneate, apex rounded to emarginate, glands 3–5 mm (smaller at blade apex). <b>Panicles</b> (5–)10–25(–35) cm, each flower subtended by glandular bract. <b>Pedicels</b> 5–10(–20) mm; bracteoles 2. <b>Flowers</b> sweet-scented, 2–3 cm; sepals 10–20 × 3–4 mm, proximal ones usually reflexed, usually puberulent, distalmost pair usually largest, ± erect, enclosing banner petal, or ± reflexed; petals cream, 1–2 cm, distalmost banner petal ± erect, others usually ± reflexed; filaments and staminodes 7–10 mm, basally pubescent, adherent distally proximal to banner petal and anthers in a 3-tiered presentation; receptacle cup-shaped, 3–4 mm; gynophore 2–3 mm, appressed to banner petal; ovary 3–5 mm, with 3 ridges. <b>Capsules</b> tan, 10–30(–55) × 1.5–3 cm, apex beaked, 3 (or 4)-angled; valves silvery inside. <b>Seeds</b> pale to dark brown, globular, 3-winged; cotyledons exuding oil when compressed.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|phenology=Flowering when leafless at end of dry season, fruiting as leaves emerge.
|habitat=Roadways, disturbed areas
|elevation=0-1000 m
|distribution=Ariz.;Calif.;Fla.;Asia (India);introduced widely elsewhere.
|discussion=<p><i>Moringa oleifera</i> is probably native to lowland dry tropical forests of northwestern India; recent collection information is lacking. It is cultivated in tropical countries as an ornamental and agricultural crop. It is occasionally reported as re-seeding along roadways and in other disturbed areas; there are no reports of <i>M. oleifera</i> invading intact habitats.</p><!--
--><p><i>Moringa oleifera</i> is often mistaken for a papilionoid legume or for a member of the Bignoniaceae. It is easily distinguished from both by stalked glands at the leaf base and at rachis articulations and by its pungent horseradish odor. The three-valved fruits with three-winged seeds also readily distinguish <i>M. oleifera</i> from both of those families. All parts of the plant are of economic importance: leaves are highly nutritious, flowers are edible, seeds contain large quantities of high-quality oil, and presscake remaining after oil extraction contains one of the most powerful plant-derived flocculants known, used for clarifying turbid water. Roots are used as a horseradishlike condiment. <i>Moringa oleifera</i> is extremely fast growing (to 7 m in first year from seed), with fruit yields ca. 10 tons/ha/yr.</p><!--
--><p><i>Moringa</i> pterygosperma Gaertner is a commonly cited synonym of <i>M. oleifera</i>. However, the name is illegitimate as it is based on Guilandia moringa.</p>
|tables=
|references=
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-->{{#Taxon:
name=Moringa oleifera
|author=
|authority=Lamarck in J. Lamarck et al.
|rank=species
|parent rank=genus
|synonyms=Hyperanthera moringa
|basionyms=Guilandina moringa
|family=Moringaceae
|phenology=Flowering when leafless at end of dry season, fruiting as leaves emerge.
|habitat=Roadways, disturbed areas
|elevation=0-1000 m
|distribution=Ariz.;Calif.;Fla.;Asia (India);introduced widely elsewhere.
|introduced=true
|reference=None
|publication title=in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl.
|publication year=1785
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/f6b125a955440c0872999024f038d74684f65921/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V7/V7_202.xml
|genus=Moringa
|species=Moringa oleifera
}}<!--

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