Leaf_neem (Azadirachta indica)
Description
Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to the Indian subcontinent, i.e. India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. It typically is grown in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Neem trees also grow in islands located in the southern part of Iran. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil. Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15?20 metres (49?66 ft), and rarely 35?40 metres (115?131 ft). It is evergreen, but in severe drought it may shed most of its leaves or nearly all leaves. The branches are wide and spreading. The fairly dense crown is roundish and may reach a diameter of 15?20 metres (49?66 ft) in old, free-standing specimens. The neem tree is very similar in appearance to its relative, the Chinaberry (Melia azedarach). The opposite, pinnate leaves are 20?40 centimetres (7.9?15.7 in) long, with 20 to 31 medium to dark green leaflets about 3?8 centimetres (1.2?3.1 in) long. The terminal leaflet often is missing. The petioles are short. The (white and fragrant) flowers are arranged in more-or-less drooping axillary panicles which are up to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long. The inflorescences, which branch up to the third degree, bear from 150 to 250 flowers. An individual flower is 5?6 millimetres (0.20?0.24 in) long and 8?11 millimetres (0.31?0.43 in) wide. Protandrous, bisexual flowers and male flowers exist on the same individual tree. The fruit is a smooth (glabrous), olive-like drupe which varies in shape from elongate oval to nearly roundish, and when ripe is 1.4?2.8 centimetres (0.55?1.10 in) by 1.0?1.5 centimetres (0.39?0.59 in). The fruit skin (exocarp) is thin and the bitter-sweet pulp (mesocarp) is yellowish-white and very fibrous. The mesocarp is 0.3?0.5 centimetres (0.12?0.20 in) thick. The white, hard inner shell (endocarp) of the fruit encloses one, rarely two, or three, elongated seeds (kernels) having a brown seed coat.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Sapindales
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Family: Meliaceae
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Genus: Azadirachta
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