A tropical tree native to the Philippines and other Pacific islands, valued for timber and producing purple flowers.
From Tagalog (Philippines language) 'banaba,' the native name for this tree (Lagerstroemia speciosa). The word entered English through trade and botanical documentation.
The banaba tree is called 'queen of flowers' in the Philippines and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries—it's a plant so important that its local name became its scientific common name worldwide.
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