104
Madhuca
neriifolia (Moon) H. J. Lam
Synonym : Bassia malabarica Bedd.
Family
: Sapotaceae
Local Names
: Ilupa, Attu-ilippa,
Madhookam, South Indian mahua
Flowering
and fruiting period:
November – March
Distribution: India and Sri Lanka
Habitat: Banks of rivers in
evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, also in the plains
IUCN
status:
Least concern
Endemic: Yes
Uses: Flowers edible. Oil
is obtained from the seed. The dark red wood has timber value.
Key
Characters:
Evergreen trees, to 15 m high, bark dark brown to
grey, deeply; latex milky. Leaves simple, alternate, crowded at the tip of
branchlets, elliptic-lanceolate, margin entire, glossy. Flowers bisexual,
yellowish-white, in axillary subterminal fascicles. Calyx tube ovate-acute.
Corolla lobes 8-10, campanulate. Stamens 16-20 in 2 rows, anthers linear,
filaments short, villous; anthers lanceolate. Ovary oblong, superior, 6- 8-celled;
ovules 1 in each cell. Fruit a berry, ellipsoid, beaked; seed one, pale brown
and shining.
