13
Antiaris
toxicaria Lesch.
Synonym : Antiaris innoxia Blume
Family
: Moraceae
Local Names
: Maravuri , Aranjili, Upas
tree
Flowering
and fruiting period:
January - April
Distribution: Paleotropics
Habitat: Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, also in
the sacred groves
IUCN
status:
Data Deficient
Endemic:
No
Uses: Its latex is used with sap of Strychnos species
in dart and arrow poison, for hunting and warfare purposes. Its latex is also
used as fish poison and birdlime. Wood is used in light construction, furniture,
interior finish, pallets, crates, and plywood. Its bark is made into bark cloth
after removing the poison by soaking.
Key
Characters:
Lofty deciduous trees, to 50 m high;
bole buttressed; bark greyish-white, smooth; exudation watery or milky. Leaves
simple, alternate, oblong, margin entire. Flowers unisexual, greenish- yellow,
in spikes; male receptacle axillary, 3-4 together, tomentose; peduncle velvety;
tepals 3 or 4, spathulate,
imbricate; stamens 3-8; anthers yellow; female flowers solitary in an involucre
of few connate bracts, tepals absent; ovary superior, 1-celled, ovule 1. Fruit
a drupe, obovoid, fleshy, scarlet, velvety.