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Pongamia pinnata
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Family:
FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (Subfam.: Papilionoideae)
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Citation: Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre, Fl. Forest. Cochinch. sub. t. 385. 1899; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 79. 1982; Ramach. & V.J. Nair, Fl. Cannanore Dist. 151. 1988; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 197. 1990; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 167. 1990; Sanjappa, Legumes Ind. 230. 1992; M. Mohanan & Henry, Fl. Thiruvanthapuram 156. 1994; Subram., Fl. Thenmala Div. 93. 1995; Sasidh. & Sivar., Fl. Pl. Thrissur For. 148. 1996; Sasidh., Fl. Shenduruny WLS 99. 1997; Sivar. & Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 224. 1997; Sasidh., Fl. Chinnar WLS 101. 1999; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 98. 2002; Mohanan & Sivad., Fl. Agasthyamala 215. 2002; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 187. 2005; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 234. 2009; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 300. 2009.
Cytisus pinnatus L., Sp. Pl. 741. 1753.
Pongamia glabra Vent., Jard. Malm. 28. t.28.1803; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2:240.1876; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 385(272). 1918.
Derris indica (Lam.) Bennet, Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 68. 303. 1971; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 146. 1984; Ansari, Fl. Kasaragod Div. 125. 1985; Antony, Syst. Stud. Fl. Kottayam Dist. 125. 1989.
Galedupa indica Lam., Encycl. 2:594.1788.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Minnari, Ungu, Ponnam, Pungu, Punnu, Pongam
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Hongay oil tree, Indian beech tree, Karanj, Pongam oil tree
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Description:
Evergreen trees, to18 m high, bark 10-12 mm thick, surface grey, smooth, speckled with brown; branchlets lenticellate. Leaves imparipinnate, alternate, leaflets 5-7, opposite, estipellate; petiolule 6-10 mm; slender, pubescent; leaflet 4.5-12 x 2-7 cm, elliptic-acuminate, elliptic-lanceolate, ovate or ovate-oblong, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous, chartaceous; stipules lateral, small, oblong, cauducous; rachis 10-15 cm long, slender, pulvinate, pubescent; lateral nerves 5-8 pairs, pinnate, ascending, slender, faint; intercostae reticulate, obscure. Flowers bisexual, purplish-white, 15-18 mm long, in lax axillary racemes, axis pubescent; bracts small, cauducous. Calyx tube campanulate; minutely 5 toothed, apex truncate; corolla exserted. Petals 5, clawed; standard suborbicular with curved folds above the claw; wings obliquely oblong, slightly adnate above the claws to the obtuse keel petals which are joined near the tip. Stamens 10, monadelphous, the vexillary stamen free below and above; anthers uniform. Ovary subsessile, inferior, 1-celled, ovules 2; style in curved, beardless; stigma capitate. Fruit a pod, 4-5 x 2-2.5 cm, obliquely oblong, flat, thick, pointed at both ends, indehiscent, slightly falcate; seed one, reniform.
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Habit:
Tree
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Flowering & Fruiting:
April-December
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District(s):
All Districts
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Deciduous and mangrove forests, also planted as avenue tree
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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):
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:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Peechi, Kattalappara, Alampetty, Parambikulam, Arayad, Thannithode, Tolpetty, Payyavur, Mukkali forests, Walayar, Nedumkayam, Kalangkunnu, Thenmalai, Kuttamangalam, Attayar, Meenmutty
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