Common Tallow Laurel (Maida Lakdi)

Common Tallow Laurel/Maida Lakdi (میدہ لکڑی) also known as Bolly Beech, Brown Bollygum and Litsea Glutinosa, can be deciduous or evergreen. A small to medium-sized tree growing 3 – 20 metres tall, it has a straight or curved, non buttressed bole up to 60cm in diameter.

The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and for a range of commodities.

The root bark and leaves are used medicinally to reduce fever, reduce swelling, and treat diarrhoea. They also may be used for treating furunculosis.

The leaves, and the mucilage in the gum from the bark, have been used for making poultices. The bark also acts as a demulcent and mild astringent in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery.