Palaquium ellipticum

Palaquium ellipticum[1] is a tree in the family Sapotaceae. This is a common canopy tree in low and medium elevation evergreen forests up to 1500 m. This species is endemic to the Western Ghats.[2]

Palaquium ellipticum
Palaquium ellipticum tree in the Anamalai Hills
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Palaquium
Species:
P. ellipticum
Binomial name
Palaquium ellipticum
Synonyms
  • Bassia elliptica Dalzell

Description

This is a tall, buttressed trees, and can grow up to 35 m (115 ft) height. Bark is smooth, lenticellate, irregularly flaky when mature and the blaze is reddish brown. Branches are with architecture of "Aubreville's model"; The young branchlets are terete, puberulent, later it turns glabrous. It has a white and profuse latex. The branchlets are usually 2-3 mm thick, and sympodial. Leaves are alternate, simple, petioles 20-25 mm long, blade 7.5-10 x 3.7-5 cm. Leaf shape could be ovate or obovate, tip is obtuse, blunt, base is narrow, margin entire, and there will be 10-12 pairs of lateral nerves. Leaves are glabrous too. Flowers are bisexual, in axillary fascicles, 10-12 x 10-12 mm length, and the color is white. Fruit is a berry, 3-3.7 x 1-1.6 cm length, ellipsoid shape and, green. One seed per fruit.[3]

References

  1. Baill., Traite, Bot. Med. Phan. 1500. 1884
  2. Sasidharan, N. (2004) Biodiversity Documentation for Kerala Part 6: Flowering Plants. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi.
  3. Gamble, J.S. (James Sykes), 1847-1925. Flora of the Presidency of Madras. London : West, Newman and Adlard, 1915- (OCoLC)610334536
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