Antiaris challa (Schweinf.) Engl.

Common Names : Aranjili, Aranthal, Chilapettamaram, Karanjili, Maravuri, Nettavil, Upas tree

Flowering Period : January-April

Distribution : Paleotropics

Habitat : Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, also in the sacred groves

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, upto 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.