Ficus drupacea Thunb. var. pubescens (Roth) Corner

കല്ലാൽ

Family : MORACEAE

Synonym :

Ficus mysorensis Heyne ex Roth var. pubescens Roth

Common Names : Chela, Kallal

Flowering Period : March-April

Distribution : India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Laos

Habitat : Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains

Uses : The roots are an effective vulnerary when powdered and applied to wounds. A fibre is obtained from the bark. A weak rope can be made from it.

Key Characters :

Trees to 25 m high; aerial roots often numerous, arising in tufts from the stout branches; bark surface greyish-brown, smooth; exudation milky; young shoots brown pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral, subdistichous, 10-22 x 6-15 cm, ovate or elliptic-ovate, apex abruptly acuminate,base round or subcordate, margin entire, tender leaves tomentose below, glabrous above and scurfy tomentose beneath when mature, coriaceous; 3-5-ribbed from base, lateral nerves 9-13 pairs, parallel, prominent beneath, intercostae reticulate, prominent; stipule 10-25 mm long, lateral, broadly lanceolate, tomentose; petiole 1.2-3.5 cm long, stout, grooved above, glandular at apex below, tomentose. Flowers unisexual; inflorescence a syconium, sessile, in axillary pairs, ellipsoid-globose, thick walled, tomentose without, at first covered by stout conical tomentose stipule; basal bracts 3, 2-6 mm, orbicular, concave, brown-pilose without, obtuse, orifice umbonate, closed by 3-4 apical bracts, not forming a flat disc; internal bristles a few; flowers of 4 kinds; male flowers disperse, numerous; pedicel to 4 mm long; tepals 2-3, free, brown, acute; stamen 1, exserted; filament sessile; tepals 3-4, free, brown, acute, ovary superior, obovoid, 0.7 mm, brown; style filiform 2 mm; gall flowers pedicellate; pedicel 0.2-3.5 mm; tepals 3, free; ovary obovoid; style short, subterminal. Syconium 1.5-2 cm across, orange red when ripe; achene smooth.