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Diospyros trichophylla
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Family:
EBENACEAE
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Citation: Diospyros trichophylla Alston in Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 3: 29. 1981; Pandura. et al., Journ. Econ. Tax. Bot. 6: 272. 1985; V. Singh, Monogr. Indian Diospyros 235. 2005.
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Malayalam Name(s):
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Dioecious tree upto 8 m high and 10 cm diam., usually much smaller. The end bud and slender branchlets densely covered with long, stiff, 3-5 mm long hairs. Bark black, rather smooth with narrow short longitudinal ridges, 1 mm thick. Live bark reddish brown, 2 mm thick. Young leaves whitish. Leaves alternate, thin, 1.5 x 5-4.5 x 10 cm, obtusely acuminate, base rounded to sub cordate, upper surface glabrous, except along midrib, venation lax, faintly pellucid, laterals faint; lower surface with a lax tomentum of long yellowish brown stiff hairs, especially on veins, midrib, lateral nerves and margin, lateral nerves c. 9 pairs, erect-patent, obscure; venation rather lax, obscure. Petiole 2-5 mm, reddish-brown, with long, stiff hairs. Male inflorescence an axillary raceme of 3-4 pedicellate flowers; peduncle reddish-brown with long, stiff hairs, 1 cm long, slender, widening at the flowers. Pedicel short, basal bracts reddish-brown, orbicular, 3 mm long, caducous, very hairy outside. Flowers yellow, 13-25 mm long. Calyx green, cup none. Lobes 4, chartaceous, linear oblong, narrow at base, tapering to acuminate apex, 8 mm long, with yellowish-white, 5 mm long hairs. Corolla yellowish-white, tubular, 13-25 mm long, 2.5 mm diam. at base(base swollen), expanded top 2.5 cm diam., tube inside hairy. Lobes 4, much longer than tube, rotate, basal parts overlapping, acute, reddish-brown, 13 mm long, 6 mm wide at base. Stamens 12-14, connate into a central column. Pistil 0 or a rudimentary disk. Anthers narrow, acute. Female flower solitary in upper leaf axils, yellow. Peduncle upto 16 mm long, with long stiff hairs, often nutant. Calyx green, accrescent in flower. Lobes 4-5, oblong, acute, 8 mm long, 3 mm wide at base, inside with long white hairs, outside subglabrous. Corolla yellow, tubular, constricted towards middle, 10-28 mm long. Lobes 4-5. Staminodes 5 or more, epipetalous, linear, glabrous; ovary depressed globose, 4-celled, 5 mm diam., densely long white pilose; styles 2, 4 mm long. Stigmas 4, yellow. Fruit solitary, globose, strongly apiculate, 2 cm diam., 2.5 cm high, greenish-yellow with long white hairs. Pericarp thin. No cup. Calyx lobes incurved or patent, thin, 11 mm long, 4 mm wide at base. Seeds 1-4 per fruit, elliptic-wedge-shaped to globose-ovoid, 16 mm long, 10 mm wide and thick. Testa reddish-brown, smooth. Endosperm equable. Seedling epigeal, cotyledons detached early, testa does not split; hypocotyl reddish, densely covered with long, white hairs.
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Habit:
Tree
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Flowering & Fruiting:
October-January
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District(s):
Idukki, Palakkad, Kozhikkode
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Evergreen forests
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Distribution:
South India and Sri Lanka
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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):
Creamy, White
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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:
Vulnerable (VU)
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Altitude:
-1200
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Localities:
Meenmutty-Kulamavu, Kulamavu
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