It is a medium-sized dry season-deciduous tree, growing to 15 m tall. It is a slow growing tree, young trees have a growth rate of a few feet per year. The leaves are pinnate, with an 8–16 cm petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet 10–20 cm long. The flowers are 2.5 cm long, bright orange-red, and produced in racemes up to 15 cm long. The fruit is a pod 15–20 cm long and 4–5 cm broad.
In West Bengal, it is associated with spring, especially through the poems and songs of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who likened its bright orange flame-like flower to fire. In Santiniketan, where Tagore lived, this flower has become an indispensable part of the celebration of spring. The plant has lent its name to the town of Palashi, famous for the historic Battle of Plassey fought there.
In the state of Jharkhand Palash is associated with the folk tradition. Many folk literary expressions describe palash as the forest fire. The beauty of dry deciduous forests of Jharkhand reach their height when most trees have fallen their leaves and Palash is in its full bloom. Palash is also the State Flower of Jharkhand.
It is said that the tree is a form of Agni, God of Fire. It was a punishment given to Him by Goddess Parvati for disturbing Her and Lord Shiva's privacy. In Telangana, these flowers are specially used in the worship of Lord Shiva on occasion of Shivratri. In Telugu, this tree is called Modugu chettu.
In Kerala, this is called 'plasu' and 'chamata'.
The parts of the herb Butea Monosperma that are used for medicinal purposes are its flowers, its leaves the gum obtained from the plant, its seeds and the oil that can be extracted from the flowers as well as the seeds.
The flowers of the tree are rich in glucosides, butin, neteroside and butrin whereas the seeds are a rich source of moodooga oil or kino- tree oil which is a fixed oil and is yellow color. This oil has various medicinal properties. The gum obtained from the tree is rich in gallic acid and tannic acid and is referred to as Bengal kino gum or simply Butea gum. The leaves of the Butea Monosperma are used as ingredients of tonics and aphrodisiacs and are also helpful in arresting bleeding or secretion.
The Butea Monosperma is famously known as the “flame of the forest” and the reason behind the tree getting accorded this name is that it bears very bright flowers which are either orange or scarlet in color. When the tree is in full bloom, the flowers grow in a number of clusters and the appearance of the tree is then such that it looks as if it has been set aflame, hence, the name. The tree Palas is of medium height and has compound leaves. The leaves of the tree fall off in the winter season and the flowers then bloom in the months of February and March. The flowers grow in huge clusters and on leaf-less branches. The fruits that the plant bears are in the shape of flat pods and each fruit contains a single seed within itself.
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