According to ancient literature, this is the 'true Kadam' which is associated with Lord Krishna in
Vrindavana, rather than the well-known tree
Neolamarckia cadamba. But this is definitely a case of mistaken identity.
Neolamarckia cadamba is not found naturally in the hot, dry
Vrindavana region.
M. parviflora is not only native to the
Vrindavana forests but is their dominant tree. Interestingly,
M. parviflora are still found almost everywhere in
Vrindavana. An excerpt from Jayadeva's
Gita Govinda, Radha referencing the flowers of this tree:
He had the heavy milkmaids dance about the red kadambas of his smiles and kisses: In my heart I still see Hari dance in playful merriment and scorn of me. It's also found in Sangam Literature. D. Stephen, a Botany professor at The American College, notes that forests in the Sangam landscape naturally host only the
Mitragyna parvifolia species of Kadamba, while other related species appear to be introduced or cultivated. From his assessment, this pattern points to Mitragyna being the Kadamba species originally belonging to the area. == Phytochemicals ==