Memecylon talbotianum Brandis (MELASTOMATACEAE)
Common names
Tulu: Alimar.
Tamil: Kancan.
Description: A large shrub or a small tree. Leaves opposite, elliptic or ovate, up to 10 x 5 cm, acute at both ends, margins slightly revolute, yellowish when dry. The flowers are arranged in lateral fascicles and are deep blue. The calyx is campanulate, and the corolla has four triangular-ovate lobes. There are 8 stamens. The berries are globose, reaching up to 8 mm in diameter, often wrinkled, and turn yellow when ripe. Each berry contains a solitary seed.
Flowering : November – February
Fruiting : March – August.
Distribution: India: Western Ghats/West Coast in moist deciduous to evergreen forests. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Sri Lanka, Malaya.