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Get intoxicated with the smell of Saptaparni flowers
This versatile tree has uses galore, from medicines to blackboards and slates
With the onset of winter in Goa, during late evening one may experience some mesmerising fragrance emanating from forests.
Although a few people find this smell a little overpowering, others mistake it for the fragrance of Ratrani (night-blooming jasmine).
But, this smell actually comes from the Saptaparni ( Alstonia scholaris ) tree. The flowers are small, greenish-white and grow in tight clusters that stay until December.
The tree is one of the fastest growing trees in the woods and may grow to a height of up to 40 metres. The Saptaparni's ability to induce hallucinations has earned it the name of Devil's tree.
