Family: Sterculiaceae
Synonym: Clompanus malabarica (Dennst.) Kuntze
Vernacular name: Aanathondimaram, Kavalam, Narukorumban, Pottakavalam, Kithkondi
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Malay Peninsula
Flowering and Fruiting: September-March
Key identification features: Deciduous tree with straight trunk, smooth bark, and stellate-tomentose branchlets. Leaves ovate-oblong, coriaceous, with prominent veins. Flowers polygamous, white with pink dots. Fruit an aggregate of 1-5 radiating follicles, obovoid, red tomentose, smooth and pink within; seeds ovoid, black, smooth, shining.
Uses: The seeds are eaten roasted. The bark of the younger parts of the tree abounds with
very strong, white, flaxen fibre which is used to make a kind of coarse cloth.
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