Lagerstoemia parviflora

Lagerstroemia parviflora is a medium sized deciduous tree growing up to 10 m in height. 
It is a beautiful drought resistant tree.

The bark of Lagerstroemia parviflora is brown-grey in colour. 
It is exfoliating in long, narrow vertical flakes pealing off, leaving a light yellow colour underneath the exposed bark. 
The bark becomes even more intensely flaky as it gets older.

The leaves of Lagerstroemia parviflora are simple, decussate with an opposite arrangement. 
They are broadly obovate-elliptic in shape. 
The leaves are 3 to 8 cm long and 2 cm wide. 
The leaves are thin coriaceous. 
The leaf base is cuneate-subacute and the leaf apex is obtuse-retuse. The leaf margin is entire. 
The petiole is less than 1 cm long. 
The leaves are glaucous in the lower side.

The flowers of Lagerstroemia parviflora are bisexual, small and white in colour. 
They grow in axillary or terminal panicles of 2 to 6 flowers clusters. 
Each flower is less than 5 mm wide with a 1 cm long pedicel. 
The calyx-tube is 7 mm long with a ring inside. 
Each flower has 6 circular flat petals, white in colour. 
Many stamens inserted near the base of the calyx tube are longer than the rest. 
The flowers are fragrant.

The fruits of Lagerstroemia parviflora are leathery 3 or 4-valved capsules surrounded below by a persistent sepal-cup. 
The fruits are oblong, about 3 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. 
The capsules are yellow-green in colour and glaucous at first, then at maturity they turn dark brown. 
The fruit calyx is woody and 5 toothed.

The seeds of Lagerstroemia parviflora are many in each capsule. 
The seeds have a terminal wing with a thick curved back. 
They are about 1.5 cm long and 0.5 cm wide.