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Ficus mollis
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Family:
MORACEAE
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Citation: Ficus mollis Vahl, Symb. Bot. 1: 82. 1790; Sasidh., Fl. Chinnar WLS 298. 1999; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 312. 2002.
Ficus tomentosa Roxb. ex Willd., Sp. Pl. 4: 1136. 1806; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 501. 1888; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1361(952). 1928.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Itchi
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Deciduous trees, epiphytic or independent, to 15 m high; aerial roots few or more; bark 5-6 mm thick, surface greyish-white, smooth. Leaves simple, alternate spiral; stipule lateral, ovate-lanceolate, densely appressed, brown-strigose, cauducous, leaving an annular scar; petiole 10-50 mm long, stout, tomentose, often with a subglandular patch on the back at the junction with the midrib below; lamina 6-15 x 3-9 cm, elliptic, oblong, obovate, elliptic-ovate, elliptic-obovate, ovate-oblong, base round or cordate, apex obtuse, subacute or obtusely tomentose on both sides when young, becoming glabrescent above and tomentose beneath when mature, coriaceous; 3-7-ribbed from base; lateral nerves 5-6 pairs, pinnate, prominent beneath, intercostae reticulate, faint. Flowers unisexual; inflorescence a syconia, sessile, in axillary pairs, subglobose, tomentose, orifice cicular, slightly raised, closed by 3 glabrous apical bracts in a disc; internal bristles sparse to abundant; basal bracts 3, 4-5 mm long, half covering the body of syconia, ovate, acute, often split, velvety tomentose without; flowers of 4 kinds; male flowers disperse; pedicel 0.7 mm long, tepals 4, reddish, free, lanceolate, stamen 1, filament 0.3 mm, anther oblong; female flowers sessile; tepals 4, shorter than ovary, ovary superior, ellipsoid-globose, 1 mm, brown; style 1.5 mm, tapering; gall flowers sessile or pedicellate; tepals 4, shorter than the smooth ovary; style short. Fruit a syconium 5-8 mm across, fleshy, grey, tomentose; achenes smooth.
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Habit:
Tree
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Flowering & Fruiting:
December-June
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District(s):
Palakkad, Idukki
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Medicinal:
Yes
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Habitat:
Dry deciduous forests
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Distribution:
India and Sri Lanka
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
Churullipetty, Chinnar, Alampetty, Kuchimudi
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