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Xylocarpus granatum Koeg.
Much branched, dark green, deciduous tree
on the inter-tidal ridge forests and river banks
Tree attain the height upto 20 m or more
with smooth bark and dark foliage
Trunk base with well developed buttresses
but generally lacking aerial pneumatophores or root suckers
Leaf compound, usually with 4 leaflets,
opposite, superimposed or alternate, cauline, exstipulate, pedicellate
Pedicel 0.7 cm long, terete, corky rough
surface
Lamina ovate-elliptic, entire, apex round
or blunt, occasionally acute apex, cup-shaped, green, dorsiventral
Dorsal surface green. glabrous and ventral
surface light green whitish rough, unicostate, reticulate venation
Inflorescence mixed, upto 6.0 cm long,
spreading irregularly branched, without any well developed main axis; with
ephemeral bracts, three flowers subtended by each such bracts, bracteoles
smaller
The terminal flowers female and lateral
two are males
Flowers irregular, tetramerous, erect,
pedicellate
Sepals 4, polysepalous, inferior, twisted,
equal length, upper surface same leveled, sepals elliptic oblong, coriaceous,
entire, acute, cupshaped, base smooth and slightly shiny, orange white,
deciduous, alternate to epicalyx
Petals 8, gamopetalous, globose tube,
basal periphery larger than apical periphery, 8 apical short lobes, lobe
blunt, thin, herbaceous, deciduous, valvate
Stamens 8, epipetalous, attached at the
notch of apical lobe, short filament
Carpels 8, syncarpous, ovary superior,
globose, 8 chambered, two ovules in each chamber, axile placentation
Style 1, terminal, round, soft, gradually
tapering
Stigma 1, flat
Fruit round spherical or globose with
long woody stalk
Economic Importance : Timber is
reddish brown, hard and having anti-ant properties, therefore it is much
used for carpentary work and boat building purposes. Bark has tannin properties.
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