Ficus tsjahela

Ficus tsjahela
Ficus tsjahela seen in Nilgiri Biosphere Nature park, Anaikatty Coimbatore.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Ficus
Species: F. tsjahela
Binomial name
Ficus tsjahela
Burm. f.
Synonyms

Ficus tsjakela

Ficus tsjahela is a fig tree from the family Moraceae which is found in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.[1] It is commonly known as the Kaaral in Malayalam, Kal-aal in Tamil and Boviyamara in Kannada.[1]

Fig
Leaves
Leaves
Bark

State wise Distribution

Ficus tsjahela occurs in coastal regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka, all districts of Kerala and in many districts of Tamil Nadu. In Maharashtra, the tree is found in Ahmednagar, Ratnagiri, Satara and Sindhudurg districts. In Karnataka, F. tsjahela occurs in Chikmagalur, Hassan, Mysore, Shimoga, North and South Kanara districts. In Tamil Nadu, the tree ranges in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Kanyakumari, Nilgiri, Salem, Tirunelveli, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Viluppuram.[2]

Field description

Habit

Deciduous trees up to 25 m tall.

Trunk & Bark

Bark dark brown; blaze red.

Branches and branchlets

Branchlets terete, glabrous. Exudates

Latex white, profuse.

Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; stipules foliaceous, 0.7 cm long, caducous and leaving annular scar; petiole ca. 6 cm long, canaliculate, glabrous; lamina to 20 x 8 cm, oblong, elliptic-oblong, apex acuminate, base rounded, coriaceous, margin entire, glabrous and glossy; basally 3-nerved; midrib raised above; secondary nerves 6-10 pairs, prominent and parallel, looped near the margin; tertiary nerves reticulate.

Inflorescence / Flower

Inflorescence syconia, sessile, depressed-globose, in clusters of 2-6, on very short crowded tubercles in the axils of the leaves or most frequently at the scars of fallen leaves; flowers unisexual.

Fruit and Seed

Syconium, sessile, ca. 0.5 cm across, greenish; achenes smooth.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Distribution details given by B. R. Ramesh, N. Ayyappan, Pierre Grard, Juliana Prosperi, S. Aravajy, Jean Pierre Pascal, The Biotik Team, French Institute of Pondicherry. Referred from India biodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/12117
  2. State wise distribution details given by G. Renu, Sanjana Julias Thilakar, D. Narasimhan, Centre for Floristic Research, Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, Tambaram. Referred from India biodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/12117
  3. Field description details given by B. R. Ramesh, N. Ayyappan, Pierre Grard, Juliana Prosperi, S. Aravajy, Jean Pierre Pascal, The Biotik Team, French Institute of Pondicherry. Referred from India biodiversity portal http://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/12117
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