''Crateva religiosa'', the sacred garlic pear or temple plant, is a species of flowering tree. It is a member of the capers family. The tree is sometimes called the spider tree because the showy flowers bear long, spidery stamens. It is native to much of tropical Asia and several South Pacific islands. It is grown elsewhere for fruit, especially in parts of the

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n continent. The garlic pear tree is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

that can grow up to . The nectar-filled flowers are attractive to a multitude of insects and birds. A pierid butterfly, '' Hebomoia glaucippe'', is a frequent visitor to this plant. The chemical compound

lupeol Lupeol is a pharmacologically active pentacyclic triterpenoid. It has several potential medicinal properties, like anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity. Natural occurrences Lupeol is found in a variety of plants, including mango, ''Acacia ...

can be extracted from the bark of ''C. Religiosa''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q311133 Capparaceae Flora of tropical Asia Flora of the Pacific