Baccaurea courtallensis (Wight) Muell.-Arg.

മൂട്ടില്‍പ്പഴം

Family : Euphorbiaceae

Synonym : Pierardia courtallensis Wight.

Common Names : Mootikaya, Mootilpazham, Mootippuli, Mootilthoori

Flowering Period : January – June

Distribution : Peninsular India

Habitat : Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests

Uses : Fruits edible, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial

Key Characters :

Evergreen trees to 15 m high; bark greyish-yellow. Leaves simple, alternate, margin entire. Flowers unisexual, dark crimson, in densely clustered slender racemes on mature stem. Male flowers: bracts lanceolate; tepals 4-5, linear, oblong, elliptic; stamens 4-8, free; anthers basifixed. Female flowers: bracts lanceolate; tepals 4-5, linear, oblong; ovary superior, ovoid, 3-locular; stigmas 3. Fruit a capsule, ovoid, pink-red when ripe, brown when dry.