Toothbrush Tree (Pilu)

The toothbrush tree is a small evergreen tree or shrub with drooping branches, fleshy leaves and small red berries. It grows in dry and saline regions from the Middle East and North Africa to western India, and its twigs are used as miswak.

In Ayurveda it is known as Pilu. The fresh twigs have traditionally been chewed as natural toothbrushes for oral care, and the fruit is eaten in desert regions.