Actinodaphne malabarica Balkr., Regnum Veg. 145: 495 2005. (Syn: Actinodaphne hirsuta Hk. f.);
Trees, to 18 m high, bark dark grey, smooth, lenticellate; blaze dull yellow with brownish streaks; young shoots densely fulvous tomentose. Leaves simple, subverticillate, opposite or subopposite, estipulate; petiole 7-20 mm long, stout, tomentose; lamina 7-25 x 2.5-6 cm, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, base acute or attenuate, apex acuminate, margin entire, glabrous above, villous beneath, chartaceous; lateral nerves 8-12 pairs, pinnate, slender, prominent, ascending about 400-500 from midrib, indistinct towards the margin; intercostae scalariform, obscure. Flowers unisexual, yellowish; male flowers: in densely tomentose racemes of 2.5 cm long; bracts 10 x 7 mm, orbicular, densely silky brown tomentose; tepals 6, subequal, oblong, obtuse, silky brown tomentose; stamens 9, in 3 rows; filaments 2-galndular, densely hispid; anthers 4-celled, oblong, introrse; female flowers: staminodes 9, in 3 rows, those of row 3 with 2-glands; ovary half inferior, ovoid, attenuate into the style; stigma dilated. Fruit a berry 7-10 mm across, globose, seated in a perianth cup, red. Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
Southern Western Ghats
Lauraceae tree for identification 240712MK03:
Please help me to identify this Lauraceae tree.
I could not find any flowers in here. The leaves are upto 20cm longer.
The tree was located near a Tea estate in an open grassland.
Place: near sholayar dam (vaalparai), TN
Alt: 1000 m asl
Date: 13 July 2012
It may be Actinodaphne.
There are options to identify your species particularly woody- trees and lianas of Western Ghats by using Vegetative key of Pascal and Ramesh (Published by French Institute of Pondicherry);
the other one is: Biotik.org- online (as well desktop based DVD) system is available for identification of the tree species of evergreen forest (only for the Western Ghats)- also published from French Institute. For me based on the images you have uploaded it could be Actinodaphne bourdillonii Gamble – LAURACEAE further confirmation u can do it with the online version, check with floras and herbarium if possible. The description as in BIOTIK website: http://www.biotik.org/india/species/a/actibour/actibour_en.html
Many thanks …, actually I am using the biotik software for identifying many westernghats trees; and I got many good results. I am very poor in identifying the Lauraceae members; and have no familiarity in it.
It is Actinodaphne malabarica Balakr. confirm
Syn: Actinodaphne hirsuta Hook. f.
Many thanks …,
More views on Actinodaphne malabarica http://www.biotik.org/india/species/a/actimala/actimala_en.html
I am attaching the flowers of the same species. This tree is common in tea estates of Western Ghats. References:
Biotik (Actinodaphne malabarica Balakr. syn. Actinodaphne hirsuta Hook.f.)
Tropicos (Actinodaphne malabarica Balakr. syn. Actinodaphne hirsuta Hook.f.)
India Biodiversity Portal (Actinodaphne malabarica Balakr. syn. Actinodaphne hirsuta Hook.f.)
Encyclopaedia of World Medicinal Plants, Volume 1 By T. Pullaiah (2006- Actinodaphne malabarica Balakr.)
The Plant List Ver. 1.1 (Actinodaphne malabarica N.P.Balakr.is a syn. of Actinodaphne wightiana (Kuntze) Noltie)
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Actinodaphne malabarica
Updated on December 24, 2024