Pterospermum rubiginosum Hyene ex Wight & Arn. (STERCULIACEAE)
Common names
Malayalam: Malam-thodali.
Tamil: Chittilepolavu.
Description: The trees can reach heights of up to 25 meters, with slender and pendulous branchlets. The leaves are arranged alternately, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, reaching dimensions of up to 10 x 6 cm. They have an obliquely cordate base, an acuminate apex, and are covered with appressed brown stellate hairs on the lower surface. The petioles extend up to 6 mm in length. Flowers solitary, axillary, white, fragrant. Calyx lobes 5, linear, revolute, rusty pubescent outside, silky within. Petals 5, obovate-oblong to linear, up to 3 x 2 cm. staminal column adnate to gynophore; fertile stamens 15 in 5 groups of 3 between the staminode and opposite. The sepals; stamens ca 1.5 cm long, staminodes ca 2 cm long. Ovary inserted on top of staminal column on the gynophore 5-locular; stigma obscurely 5-lobed. Fruit a dehiscing capsule, oblong, up to 8 x 2 cm, beaked, 5-angled, downy. Seeds winged, brown.
Flowering : September – February.
Fruiting : May – July.
Distribution: India: In evergreen forests up to 1000 m. Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Uses: Wood pink, hard, close-grained, used for house building and for making boats, matchboxes and splints. Wood suitable for paper-pulp.
