Saraca asoca is a traditional medicinal plant belonging to the family Caesalpiniaceae. Saraca asoca is distributed in evergreen forests of India up to an elevation of about 750 meters. Saraca asoca is a small, spreading, evergreen tree, with smooth brownish bark and compound leaves forming a dense crown. It has bright orange flowers in small dense branches and flat with several smooth grey seeds. Saraca asoca is a sacred tree of India with red flowers and red wood, famous for its use in treating gynecological disorders. It is especially relied upon as an astringent to treat excessive uterine bleeding from various causes (including hormone disorders and fibroids), but also for regulating the menstrual cycle and, in various complex formulas, as a tonic for women. Many Ayurvedic physicians believe that women should use this herb frequently to help avoid gynecological and reproductive disorders; thus, it is not solely used as a treatment for existing problems. The bark, rich in tannins and cyanidins (red colored compounds), is the primary medicinal part. The tannins provide the main astringent action for halting excessive menstrual bleeding, and also for bleeding hemorrhoids, bleeding ulcers, and hemorrhagic dysentery.
