Moringa concanensis Nimmo

Based on descriptions from herbarium sheets, I expected M concanensis to look like M. oleifera but with only bipinnate leaves. I was surprised when I saw the tree in the field that it is as strikingly distinct as all the other Moringa species are from each other. Moringa concanensis has a very strong central trunk that is covered with an extremely distinctive layer of very furrowed bark that can be more than 15cm thick. The flowers also have distinctive green patches at the tips of the petals and sepals.

M. concanensis occurs in tropical dry forest from southeastern Pakistan almost to the southern tip of India. It has recently been found in a western Bangladesh. Despite this wide range, M. concanensis habitat is under heavy pressure from agriculture and urbanization.

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