Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod.

 
  • Family : MORINGACEAE
    (Moringa Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : SONJNA FAMILY
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Moringaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Donaldsonia stenopetala Baker f.; Moringa streptocarpa Chiov.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod.
  • Common name : Cabbage tree, African moringa
  • Vernacular name :
    • Murungai (Tamil)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : Medium-sized tree, 6–10 m tall; Trunk sometimes with multiple stems, up to ~60 cm diameter at breast height, thick at base; Crown strongly branched; Bark white to pale grey, black or silvery, smooth; Young stems and leaves densely velvety pubescent; Leaves compound, bipinnate to tripinnate, upto 55cm long, approximately 5 pairs of pinnae per leaf; Leaflets 3–9 per pinna, elliptic to ovate, 3.3–6.5 × 1.8–3.3 cm, apex acute with thickened apiculum, base rounded to cuneate, pubescent or glabrous; Petiole 10-15mm; Glands stipel-like, clavate, about 2mm long; Inflorescence densely pubescent, many-flowered panicles, up to ~60 cm long, terminal, peduncle 4-10cm; Flowers regular, hypogynous, strongly scented, pedicel about 0.5mm or almost obsolete; Receptacle small, 1 × 2 mm; Sepals 4–7 × 2–3.5 mm, cream flushed pink, oblong-elliptic, subequal, ± obtuse, glabrous except for ciliolate (fringed) margins; Petals 5, white to pale yellow or yellow-green, linear-oblong to slightly spathulate, 8–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm, with long multicellular hairs on the inside; Stamens filaments white, 4–6.5 mm, ± glabrous, anthers yellow, ~2mm, staminodes less than half the length of the fertile stamens; Ovary ovoid, 2.2 mm long, densely hairy, stipe ~1mm, style narrowly cylindrical, ~4 mm long; Fruit elongate, 1-celled, reddish with grey bloom, initially ± twisted, later straight, sometimes torulose, 19.7–50 cm long, (1.8–)2.3–4 cm wide, valves grooved.
  • Distribution :
    • Tamil Nadu : Chennai district
    • West Bengal : West Bengal
    • Delhi : Delhi
  • Native : Ethiopia, Kenya
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : SW. & S. Ethiopia to Kenya
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Moringa stenopetala
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Moringa stenopetala. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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