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Cochlospermum religiosum
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Family:
COCHLOSPERMACEAE
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Citation: Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston in Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 6 (Suppl.): 14. 1931; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 36. 1982; Paul & Nayar in Nayar et al., Fasc. Fl. Ind. 19: 16. 1988; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 58. 1990; N.P. Balakr. in B.D. Sharma & N.P. Balakr., Fl. India 2: 383. 1993; Sasidh. et al., Bot. Stud. Med. Pl. Kerala 10,16. 1996; Sasidh. & Sivar., Fl. Pl. Thrissur For. 43. 1996; Sasidh., Fl. Periyar Tiger Reserve 16. 1998; Sasidh., Fl. Chinnar WLS 22. 1999; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 14. 2002; N.P. Balakr. in P. Daniel, Fl. Kerala 1: 259. 2005.
Bombax religiosum L., Sp. Pl. 512. 1753.
Cochlospermum gossypium DC., Prodr. 1: 527. 1824; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 90. 1872; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 50(36). 1915.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Appakudukka, Apparuthakka, Chembanji, Kokkamaram, Parapanji, Parappoola, Seemapanjimaram
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Golden Silk cotton tree, Yellow Silk cotton tree, Torch wood
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Description:
Deciduous trees, to 10 m tall, bark 20-25 mm thick, surface dark grey, fibrous; branchlets thick. Leaves simple, palmately 3-5 lobed, alternate, estipulate; petiole 6-20 cm long, stout, swollen at base, pubescent; lamina 5-15 x 7-20 cm, base cordate, lobes, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, tips acute or acuminate, margin entire or crenate, serrate, glabrous above, densely white tomentose below, coriaceous; 5-7 nerved from the base, palmate, lateral nerves 7-10 in each lobe, parallel, prominent, intercostae scalariform, faint. Flowers bisexual, 7.5-10 cm across, bright yellow, in grey tomentose terminal panicles; sepals 5, 2.5 x 1.5 cm, unequal, obovate, densely tomentose, deciduous; petals 5, 5 x 3 cm, obovate, deeply emarginate, contorted; stamens many, inserted on an eglandular disc, shortly connate at base into 8-10 clusters; filaments 1.5-2.5 cm long; anthers linear, opening by apical slit; ovary superior, globose, glabrate, 3-5-celled, ovules many; style 1, to 1 cm, filiform; stigma somewhat lobed. Fruit a capsule, 6-8 x 4.5-5.5 cm, 5-valved, obovoid, pear shaped, straight, leathery, brown; seeds many, 6 mm long, black, curved, embedded in white cotton.
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Habit:
Tree
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Flowering & Fruiting:
February-March
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District(s):
Palakkad, Idukki, Kozhikkode, Thrissur, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Moist and dry deciduous forests
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Distribution:
Indo-Malesia
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Yellow
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Peechi, Vellanimala, Palapetty, Mangaladevi, Dhoni R. F., Vengoli, Chitoor-Agali area
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