Digital Garden

Madhuca neriifolia (Moon) H. J. Lam

ഇല്ലുപ്പ

Family : SAPOTACEAE

Synonym : Bassia malabarica Bedd.

Common Names : Attu-ilippa, Iluppa, Kattirippa, Neeririppa, Wallangi

Flowering Period : November – March

Distribution : India and Sri Lanka

Habitat : Banks of rivers in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, also in the plains

Uses : Flowers edible. Oil is obtained from the seed. The dark red wood has timber value.

Key Characters :

Evergreen trees, to 15 m high, bark dark brown to grey, deeply; latex milky. Leaves simple, alternate, crowded at the tip of branchlets, elliptic-lanceolate, margin entire, glossy. Flowers bisexual, yellowish-white, in axillary subterminal fascicles. Calyx tube ovate-acute. Corolla lobes 8-10, campanulate. Stamens 16-20 in 2 rows, anthers linear, filaments short, villous; anthers lanceolate. Ovary oblong, superior, 6-8 celled; ovules 1 in each cell. Fruit a berry, ellipsoid, beaked; seed one, pale brown and shining.