Okay – okay, let’s cut to the chase.  If I’m such a goodey-two-roots, what in Devil’s name is going on here?  What’s with the scary name, right?

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I have a confession to make.  I can be, well, let’s say - toxic.  I am poisonous and avoided by animals.  In studies done, at high doses, my extract exhibited marked damage to all the major organs of the body in both rats and mice. The toxicity appears to depend on which of my plant organ was used, as well as the season it is harvested, with the bark collected in the monsoon season being the least toxic, and bark in the summer the most.

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My flowers bloom in October, just when there’s a bit of nip in the air, and before the winter sets in.  They are light green in colour – envy, some would say - and have a strong, sweet, almost intoxicating smell.  And, you guessed it, reputation does go around, and some people started associating this sweet intoxicating smell to yours truly casting a devilish spell on them.  Some tribal myths say that I am the abode of ghosts and spirits.  To be fair, I have a devil-may-care attitude to this, I welcome everyone.  But, then some people started saying that no one should rest in under my shade, especially after dusk when my fragrance is the strongest.  But, hey, people talk – you should find out for yourself, is what I say.  How about visiting me late evening today, just the two of us?

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To give the devil its due, I have had a pretty good run with humans so far.  I have been very helpful in traditional medicinal applications and Ayurveda.

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The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia states that "the powerfully bitter bark of this tree is used by the natives of India in bowel complaints. It has proved a valuable remedy in chronic diarrhoea and the advanced stages of dysentery. It has also been found effectual in restoring the tone of the stomach and of the system generally in debility after fevers and other exhausting diseases (Pharmacopoeia of India).

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I did say, my bark is bitter than my bite.

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I am also a preferred timber for making pencils.   I am a popular avenue and ornamental tree. I have a hardy nature, high tolerance against pollution, and great adaptability.

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Interestingly in some places, such as New Guinea, my trunk is three-sided i.e. it is triangular in cross-section.

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In Sri Lanka, my light wood is used for making coffins.  Okay, maybe that one does not help my reputation.  With so much going on, sometimes I feel like I’m stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

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Speaking as the devil’s advocate, I proudly share that I have a great cultural significance in the intellectual circles.  Traditionally, my leaves were awarded to scholars at convocation ceremonies by the Visva Bharati University by the Chancellor, given to him in turn by the Prime Minister of India. This tradition was started by Rabindranath Tagore in Gurudeb University and has continued till date.

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My list of recognitions is a long one. In Theravada Buddhism, a practice that originated in India and later became the predominant religion in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, it is believed that the first Buddha used me as the tree for achieving enlightenment.

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I am also the sacred tree of the 2nd Jain tirthankar Ajitnatha, whose teachings form a core part of Jain philosophy.

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So, there you go, there’s a lot that I’m doing for humans.  Speaking of the devil, how are you enjoying this walk through the trees today?

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Am I still a bit scary or friendlier?  Well, either ways, as they say --- Better the devil you know, than the one you don’t.  And by now, you definitely know me!  See you later this evening, maybe I can get to know the little devil that you are, a little better!