Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr.

 

Family: Flacourtiaceae

Synonym: Gmelina indica Burm.f. 

Vernacular name: Aghori,Cherumullikkachedi,Karkkadappazham,Karimulli,Kattukara

Habit: Shrub

Habitat: Scrubs, deciduous to mixed forests Swamp forest, cultivated

Distribution:  Ethiopia to S. Africa, SE. China to Tropical Asia

Flowering and Fruiting:  November-March

Key identification features: Flacourtia species are shrubs or trees, armed with simple and branched spines, branches with sympodial growth. Inflorescence in shortly pedunculate axillary and terminal raceme fascicles, few to many flowers. Flowers unisexual or sometimes bisexual, Fruit indehiscent berry or drupe.

Uses: The leaves of Flacourtia indica may be used as fodder for livestock in some regions.

Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch.

 Family: Flacourtiaceae

Synonym: Rumea jangomas (Lour.) Spreng. 

Vernacular name: Loika, Lavalolikka, Luikka, Thaliru, Vaiyyankata

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Swamp forest, cultivated

Distribution: India, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan; Africa

Flowering and Fruiting: March-October

Key identification features: Small evergreen tree or shrub with compound spines. It produces small white to green fragrant flowers which occurs on lateral shoots, globose fruits turn dark purple when ripe. It is covered by persistent stigmas.

Uses: The barks are also used in traditional medicines for curing stomach ailments. 

Bergera koenigii L.

 

Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. 

Vernacular name: Chakkimaram, Mavaranchi, Mavuringi, Muttanari,

Habit: Shrub to Small Tree

Habitat:  Cultivated

Distribution:  Indo-Malesia and China

Flowering and Fruiting: March-July

Key identification features: These plants can be either shrubs or small trees. Their leaves are pinnate, crowded at the twig-ends, with 15-25 asymmetrical, oblique leaflets. The flowers are small and white, arranged in terminal panicles. The fruit is a purplish-black subglobose berry, containing 1 or 2 green, globular-ovoid seeds..

Uses: Its aromatic leaves are widely used in Indian cuisine, adding a distinct flavor to dishes.

 

Acronychia pedunculata (L.) Miq.

 

Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Jambolifera pedunculata L.

Vernacular name: Chakkimaram, Mavaranchi, Mavuringi, Muttanari,

Habit: Tree

Habitat:  Semi-evergreen forests, also in the plains

Distribution:  Tropical & Subtropical Asia

Flowering and Fruiting: March-November

Key identification features: Small evergreen trees with glabrous branchlets bear unifoliolate, opposite leaves. These leaves are obovate, obovate-oblong, or oblanceolate in shape. The bisexual yellowish-white flowers grow in trichotomous, corymbose axillary cymes. Stamens occur in two series, totaling 8, with unequal filaments. Fruit is a berry.

Uses: It treats conditions like scabies, sores, and ulcers. The roots are used for rheumatism and snake bites.

Naringi crenulata Roxb.

 

Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Hesperethusa crenulata (Roxb.) M. Roem.

Vernacular name: Dadhiphala, Kattunarakam, Mahavilvam, Malanarakam, Manmatham,

Habit: Tree

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

Distribution:  India to Indo-China

Flowering and Fruiting: March-December

Key identification features: The small thorny tree stands up to 10m tall and is armed with spines. Its bark is yellowish-grey, smooth, and corky. The leaves are imparipinnate, alternate, and estipulate. The leaflets are opposite, sessile, and estipellate. The tree produces bisexual white flowers in few-flowered axillary racemes. The fruit is a berry.

Uses: The honey has a bitter taste. Preferred firewood species. Wood yellowish-white, hard and used for making agricultural implements.

Glycosmis pentaphylla (Retz.) DC.

 

Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Limonia pentaphylla Retz. 

Vernacular name: Kurumpannal, Kuttippannel, Panal, Panchi

Habit: Shrub

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

Distribution: India, Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia and Malesia.

Flowering and Fruiting: September-April

Key identification features: Small erect shrubs are characterized by their leaflets, which are elliptic-lanceolate and glandular. The flowers can be found in both terminal and axillary panicles. The berry is ovoid in shape, initially white before transitioning to pink as it matures, typically containing one to two seeds.

Uses: Its leaves, stems, barks, fruits, and roots are employed for the treatment of cough, fever, bronchitis, chest pain, anemia, jaundice, liver disorders, inflammation etc.

Clausena indica (Dalzell) Oliv.

 

Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Bergera nitida Thw.

Vernacular name: Kattukaruveppu, Kattumunthiri, Gorakotta

Habit: Shrub

Habitat: Semi-evergreen and evergreen forests

Distribution: Peninsular India and Sri Lanka

Flowering and Fruiting: February-June

Key identification features: Shrubs with leaves arranged alternately, having 7-13 leaflets each. The inflorescence is terminal, with flowers having a spherical shape in buds and white petals. Berries are globose and yellowish when ripe.

Uses: The yellowish, globose berry is edible.

Melicope lunu-ankenda (Gaertn.) Hartley

 

Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Euodia lunu-ankenda (Gaertn.) Merr. 

Vernacular name: Kambili, Kanala, Kaneli, Nasakam

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests.

Distribution: Indo-Malesia

Flowering and Fruiting: May-July

Key identification features: These deciduous trees grow up to 18 m in height. Their bark is yellowish-grey, scurfy-muricate, and slightly fissured. The leaves are trifoliate, elliptic. The unisexual flowers appear in axillary paniculate cymes and are either white or greenish-yellow. Male flowers have 4 white petals, and 4 stamens. Female flowers are similar. The fruit is a brown capsule with 4 cocci, each containing oblong black seeds.

 Uses: Its leaves are consumed as a condiment, and the roots are used in traditional medicine to treat colds and rheumatism.

Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa

 

 Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Belou marmelos (L.) Lyons 

Vernacular names: Koolakam Koovalam Mavilavu Vilvam

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Plain areas, forests, near roadsides

Distribution: India

Flowering and fruiting: March to June

Key identification features: Leaves alternate-3-foliolate, sometimes 5-foliolate, dimorphic; petioles terete to 6 cm long, glabrous or puberulous when young; leaflets subsessile,Inflorescences axillary and terminal, racemose or corymbose.

Uses: The pulp is laxative and it is also considered medicinal for indigestion and constipation The unripe fruit is boiled or roasted to use as medicine for dysentery and diarrhoea.

Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC.

 

 Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Fagara budrunga Roxb.

Vernacular names :Kothumurikku, Mullilam, Mullilavu (Malayalam)

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Open forests, forest margins

Distribution: Indo-Malesia to Australia

Flowering and fruiting: March-November

Key identification features : Deciduous trees with a brown, prickly bark grow up to 20 m. They have clustered, alternating leaves with 13-23 leaflets, which are oblong. The flowers are small, greenish-yellow, and found in prickly panicles.. The fruit is a purplish aromatic capsule with blue-black seeds.

 Uses: Bark and fruits are used for their digestive and anti-inflammatory properties in traditional medicine.Tender leaves are eaten as vegetable by Aitonias & Mishings

Vepris bilocularis (Wight & Arn.) Engl.

 

 Family: Rutaceae

Synonym: Cranzia bilocularis (Wight & Arn.) Kuntze 

 Vernacular names: Karakil Moothassari (malayalam)

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests

Distribution: Southern Western Ghats

Flowering and fruiting: February-May

Key identification features: Evergreen dioecious trees, reaching up to 25 m in height, feature a yellowish-grey bark and trifoliate, alternate leaves with elliptic to oblong leaflets. The leaves clear-gland dotted, and the flowers are small, yellow, and clustered. Male flowers have a saucer-shaped calyx and orbicular petals, while female flowers have a superior ovary and produce a fleshy, glandular berry as fruit.

Uses: Wood is tough and used for helves and handles, cartwheels and spokes. Root decoction given in biliousness; wood used in eye and ear diseases; decoction of wood boiled in oil used in rheumatic swellings, asthma and leprosy.

Spermacoce pusilla Wall.

 Family: Rubiaceae

Synonym: Borreria pusilla (Wall.) F.Dietr. 

Vernacular name:

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Grasslands and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution: Tropical Asia and China

Flowering and Fruiting: November-December

Key identification features: It is an annual herb with glabrous stems, lanceolate leaves, and cupular stipules. Its pinkish-white flowers cluster densely in axillary clusters with filiform bracteoles. The calyx lobes are subulate, and the corolla has narrow infundibular tubes. Filaments are slender, and the style is 2-lobed. The ellipsoidal capsule contains oblong seeds .

 Uses: It’s used for treating skin conditions, wounds, and digestive issues

Spermacoce ocymoides Burm.f.

 

Family: Rubiaceae

Synonym: Tardavel ocymoides (Burm.f.) Hiern 

Vernacular name: Tharakeera

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Wastelands

Distribution: Indo-Malesia and Tropical Africa

Flowering and Fruiting: November-December

Key identification features: Erect herbs with simple, decussate leaves. The leaves are sparsely scabrous, elliptic-oblong. The flowers occur in clusters of 40-50 per node. The corolla is white. There are 4 stamens, and the capsule is truncate.

 Uses: Its leaves are applied in poultices to treat headaches and wounds. The sap is used for conditions like eczema, worms, and ringworm.

Spermacoce latifolia Aubl.

 

Family: Rubiaceae

Synonym: Tardavel latifolia (Aubl.) Standl. 

Vernacular name: Pachhapalla, Vellatharavu, Tharavu

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Moist and dry deciduous forests and waste places

Distribution: Native of Tropical America; now established in Tropical Africa and Asia

Flowering and Fruiting: August-October

Key identification features: This herb has a diffuse growth habit with a four-angled, prominently winged stem covered in hispid hairs. The leaves are broadly elliptic or ovate.. The flowers are arranged in axillary few-flowered cymes. The corolla is white or pale pink. The stamens are attached at the throat between the lobes. Fruit is a capsule.

 Uses: It is employed for treating malaria, skin diseases, digestive problems, fever, and headache.

Psydrax dicoccos Gaertn.

 

Family: Rubiaceae

Synonym: Plectronia dicocca (Gaertn.) F.Muell. 

Vernacular name: Irumbarappan

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Evergreen, semi-evergreen and dry deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution: Indo-Malesia and China

Flowering and Fruiting: February-September

Key identification features: These trees grow up to 12 m in height and have white, corky bark. Their leaves are arranged in a distichous pattern. The leaf shape varies from elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate. The bisexual flowers appear in axillary cymes. There are 5 stamens with short filaments. Fruit is a drupe.

 Uses: Used traditionally to make wooden combs to be offered as gift to the bride by the groom, A fine wood, it is used for agricultural purposes, cutlery etc

Spermacoce articularis L.f

 

Family: Rubiaceae

Synonym: Borreria articularis (L.f.) F.N.Williams 

Vernacular name: Kudalchurukki, Natthachuri, Tharthavel

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Grasslands and dry deciduous forests, also in the plains

Distribution:  Tropical Asia and Africa

Flowering and Fruiting: September-December

Key identification features: Diffuse herbs with a 4-angled stem covered in minutely hairy growth. The leaves are either elliptic or obovate in shape. Flowers appear in axillary clusters, each cluster containing only a few blossoms. The pinkish-white corolla has a funnel-shaped tube. 4 exserted stamens complete the floral structure. Fruit is a capsule.

Uses: In traditional medicine, it is recognized for its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.

Scleromitrion cyananthum (Kurz) Nandikar

 

Family: Rubiaceae

·       Synonym: Hedyotis cyanantha Kurz 

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Lateritic slopes and grasslands

Distribution:  India, Sri Lanka , Sri Lanka, Sulawesi

Flowering and Fruiting: October-June

Key identification features: Rare in grasslands, plains in poor gravelly soil and also in scrub jungles.

Uses: Scleromitrion cyananthum likely plays a role in supporting local ecosystems by providing Habitat and food sources for wildlife