Category: C

Crateva magna (Lour.) DC. (CAPPARACEAE)

Common name
Kannada: Bilipatri, Nervala.

Description: Deciduous trees up to 6 m tall. Leaves 3 foliolate; petioles up to 0.3-0.5 cm., leaflets membranaceous to sub coriaceous; nerves 11-16 pairs. Flowers many on leafy twigs. Pedicels up to 6.5 cm. sepals ascending. Petals white. The stamens measure 5-5.5 centimeters in length. The ovary is oblong-ellipsoid, reaching up to 0.4 centimeters long, while the stigma is sessile. The berry is nearly spherical, 3.5 centimeters across, containing seeds with dorsal crests and tubercles.

Distribution: India: On river banks in semi-evergreen or deciduous forests. South Asia, Malaysia.

Uses: Bark stimulates liver, demulscent, stomachic laxative, antidotes for snakebite, alterative, tonic, given in calculi and other urinary affections. In Ayurveda the bark is used in headache, scrofula carcinoma, cardiac diseases and urinary calculi.

Croton gibsonianus Nimmo (EUPHORBIACEAE)

Description: Bushes reaching heights of up to 5 meters, with branchlets that have sparse stellate hairs when young. The leaves are elliptic or elliptic-oblong, measuring up to 18 by 4 centimeters, rounded at the base, pointed at the apex, with glandular-serrated margins. At the base of the midrib, there is a pair of stalked glands.Stipules linear. Flowers in terminal racemes with male flowers above and female at base. Male flowers in fascicles, yellowish. Calyx lobes 4, ovate, white-woolly at margins. Petals 4. Stamens 10-11. Disc of 5 free glands. Female flowers solitary at each bract. Calyx lobes 5, stellate – hairy without. Petals 0. Disc saucer-shaped. Ovary stellate-tomentose; styles 3. Schizocarp ovoid, ca 1.2 cm long, 3-lobed, stellate-hairy. Seed 1 in each locule, ovoid, ca 6 mm long.

Flowering & Fruiting : September – March.

Distribution: India: Western peninsular India. In undergrowth of semi-evergreen and evergreen forests. Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Croton malabaricus Beddome (EUPHORBIACEAE)

Common names
Malayalam: Kola vacchi, Thavatta polavu.

Description: Trees up to 8 m tall. Leaves rhomboid-ovate or ovate-elliptic, up to 15 x 7.5 cm, cuneate at base, acuminate at apex, silver-scaly below; petioles up to 12 cm long. Flowers in terminal racemes covered with scales. The calyx is divided into five lobes. There are 10 to 12 stamens with villous filaments. The ovary is adorned with scales, and the stigma splits into two parts. The capsules measure approximately 2.5 centimeters in length and are three-valved.

Flowering & Fruiting : December – May.

Distribution: India: In the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests at 900-1200 m. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Endemic.

Cordia obliqua Willd. (BORAGINACEAE)

Common names
Sanskrit: Shelu.
Kannada: Challe mara, Mannadike.
Malayalam: Periya viri.
Tamil: Nama viri.
Telugu: Iriki, Pedda nakkera.

Description: Deciduous trees, 4-8 m tall with thick grey or brown bark. Leaves broadly ovate or orbicular-ovate, 8-14 x 6-13 cm, glabrous, subcordate or truncate or shortly cuneate at base, obtuse at apex, without white discs above, densely clothed with stellate, fulvous or white tomentum beneath; nerves 3-5 (usually 3); petioles 2.5 – 4 cm long. Flowers in terminal and lateral paniculate cymes, white. Calyx lobes 5, pubescent inside; teeth densely tomentose. Corolla lobes 5, white. Stamens 5; exserted; filaments hairy. Ovary superior, 4-locular; style terminal, twice branched; stigmas 4. The fruit is a drupe, ovoid in shape, approximately 2 centimeters across, exhibiting a smooth texture and colored in yellowish-orange or pink, accompanied by enlarged calyx lobes. The seeds are hard and lack an albumen (exalbuminous).

Flowering & Fruiting: December – May.

Distribution: India: Western Peninsula. Common in deciduous forests of Western Ghats. Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Uses: The ripe fruit is eaten and the unripe fruit is pickled. Wood greyish brown, moderately hard, used for boat construction, well-curbs, gunstocks and agricultural implements. Decorative veneers can be cut on a rotary machine. Decoction of the bark used in dyspepsia and fevers; fruit astringent, anthelmintic, diuretic, demulcent and expectorant, used in diseases of chest and urinary passage, kernels used in external application for ringworm.

Corypha umbraculifera L. (PALMAE)

Common names
Kannada: Sritale.
Tulu: Pane, Panoli.
Malayalam: Kodapana.

Description: Unarmed palms, 10-25 m tall, 0.5-1 m diam., annulate, dying after once flowering and ripening their seed, at the age of between 20-40 years. leaves 2-5 m in diam., plicate, cleft the middle into 80-100 linear-lanceolate acute or 2-fid lobes; petioles 1-3 m long, stout; the margins armed with short, compressed, dark-colored spines. Spadix pyramidal, 3-6 m long; spathes pierced by the primary branches of the spadix, forming pendulous spikes. Flowers small, bisexual. Calyx broadly 3-lobed. Petals 3. Stamens 6; filaments subulate; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary 3-loculed; style short; stigma minute. The fruit is a drupe, round in shape, approximately 4 centimeters in diameter. The seed is typically solitary, spherical, hard, smooth, and polished.

Flowering & Fruiting: Once in its life time (Between 20-40 years).

Distribution: India: Western Peninsula and Andamans. Sri Lanka.

Uses:

• The pith is used for flour. The base of the trunk is used for making drums. A fibre similar to Kittul (Caryota urens) fibre can be prepared from the fibro-vascular strands. Often planted in gardens. The leaves are used for thatching, baskets, mats, fans, umbrellas etc. and sacred. Buddhists books written on strips with metal styles.
• Processed strips of leaves are used for making ornamental braids and straw and leghorn hats. The seeds, as hard as ivory, are employed in crafting beads, buttons, and various decorative items. They can be dyed to imitate coral and utilized in ornamental pieces. Moreover, the powdered young fruit is used to stun or sedate fish.

Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl (LAURACEAE) = C. zeylanicum Blume

Common names
Kannada: Dalchini, Lavanga pathre.
Tulu: Ijin.
Malayalam: Karuva.
Tamil: Ilavangam, Illavangappattai, Karruwa.
Telugu: Sanalinga.

Description: Medium-sized evergreen trees up to 10 m tall. Leaves opposite, subopposite or rarely alternate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, up to 15 x 8 cm, rounded or acute at base, acute or acuminate at apex, 3-5-nerved; petioles up to 1.5 cm long. Flowers numerous, in silky pubescent lax panicles, bisexual. Perianth funnel-shaped, lobes 6, oblong, pubescent. Fertile stamens 9 in 3 whorls; each filament with 2 stipitate glands; anthers 4-celled; staminodes of 4th whorl cordate. The ovary is contained within the perianth tube. The fruit is a berry, oblong, approximately 1.5 centimeters in length, displaying a dark purple color, and encircled by an enlarged, bell-shaped perianth. It contains a single seed.

Flowering & Fruiting : December – July.

Distribution: India: South W. India in coastal plains and windward side of Western Ghats. Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Uses:

• The bark and leaves serve as spices. The bark provides the widely recognized commercial cinnamon. Aromatic oil, extracted from the leaves through steam distillation, is utilized in the perfume and flavoring industries. Cinnamom is used in candy, gum, incense, dentifrices and perfumes. The timber is suitable only as a low grade board wood.
• Bark carminative, antispasmodic, stimulant, astringent and antiseptic; leaf antidiabetic; leaf and oil are used in treating anorexia, bronchial asthma, diseases of mouth, thirst, nausea, chronic cold, convulsion, tracyphonia, dental diseases, borborygmus, vomiting and as carminative. It is used in preparing “Sitopaladi Churan” given as an expectorant and in “Khattikadi Churan”.

Cinnamomum malabatrum (Burm f. ) Blume (LAURACEAE)

Common names
Kannada: Lavanga patre, Lavanga yele.

Description: Towering trees that can reach heights of up to 20 meters. The leaves are elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, measuring up to 28 by 8 centimeters, tapering at the base and pointed at the apex with typically three prominent veins. Their petioles can extend up to 2 centimeters in length. Flowers in paniculate cymes, bisexual, greenish yellow. Perianth lobes 6, ovate, pubescent. Stamen 9 in 3 whorls; each filament with 2 stipitate glands, anthers 4-celled. Staminodes 3. Ovary enclosed in perianth tube. Berry ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm long; fruiting pedicel stout, warted.

Flowering & Fruiting: February – May

Distribution: India: Common in moist deciduous to evergreen forests at low altitudes. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Endemic to South W. India.

Uses: The bark and leaves are used as spice for flavoring food.

Chionanthus malaelengi (Wallich ex G. Don) Beddome (OLEACEAE)

Description: Trees, 8-10 m tall with smooth, shiny bark. Leaves elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 5-12 x 2-5 cm, acute at both ends, glabrous, coriaceous; main nerves inconspicuous; petioles ca 1.5 cm long. Flowers sessile, in 3-4 cm long branched axillary cymes, yellowish-white, odor of ripe apples. Calyx small, lobes 4. Corolla lobes 4. Stamens 2; filaments very short. The ovary is divided into two chambers; the style is brief, and the stigma splits briefly into two parts. The fruit, classified as a drupe, is ellipsoidal, measuring between 0.8 and 1.5 centimeters in length and 0.6 to 0.8 centimeters in width, taking on a purplish hue when it reaches ripeness. It contains a single seed.

Flowering & Fruiting : November – March.

Distribution: India: Common in evergreen forests of Western Ghats, up to 1300 m.

Chrysophyllum lanceolatum (Blume) DC. (SAPOTACEAE)

Common names
Kannada: Paale hannu.
Malayalam: Atha.
Tamil: Kappalei.

Description: Evergreen trees, 15-25 m tall with milky juice; branches horizontal; bark smooth, grey; young parts clothed with fulvous pubescence. Leaves lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, 10-18 x 3-6 cm, acute at base, acuminate at apex, glabrous, shining; main nerves very numerous; petioles 5-8 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, in rounded clusters, creamy-white. Calyx broadly campanulate, lobes 5, hairy without. Corolla orbicular, lobes 5, white. Stamens 5, included; filaments short. Staminodes absent. Ovary 5-locular; style short; stigma obscure. The fruit is a berry, roughly spherical, measuring 2.5 to 4 centimeters, exhibiting obscure five to six angles, and having a yellowish-green hue. It contains about 5 to 6 seeds, shaped like ellipsoids, ranging from 1.3 to 1.8 centimeters in length and 0.6 to 1 centimeter in width. These seeds are highly polished, extremely hard, and display a brownish-yellow color.

Flowering & Fruiting : January – May.

Distribution: India: Common in evergreen and moist deciduous forests of the Western Ghats. Sri Lanka, Malacca, Malaysia.

Uses: The fruit which is called the star apple is pulpy and eaten, though not very palatable.

Chukrasia tabularis A. Juss. (MELIACEAE)

Common names
English: Chittagong wood.
Malayalam: Akil.
Tamil: Aglay, Maleiveppu.
Telugu: Madagari vembu.

Description: Towering trees reaching heights of up to 30 meters, adorned with reddish-brown bark. Leaves pinnately compound, alternate, up to 50 cm long; leaflets 10-20, subopposite or alternate, ovate-oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, up to 15 x 8 cm, inequilateral at base, acuminate at apex; petiolule up to 8 mm long; upper leaflets larger than the lower. Flowers yellowish-white. Calyx 5-lobed, puberulous. Petals 5, linear oblong or spathulate, puberulous outside, pubescent inside. Staminal tube dark purple, glabrous; anthers 10. Ovary hairy; stigma capitate. Fruit a capsule, ovoid, up to 5 x 2.5 cm, speckled with lenticels, brown. Seeds many, winged.

Flowering & Fruiting: May – March.

Distribution: India: Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachala Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Uses: Bark astringent.