Mallotus tetracoccus
| Mallotus tetracoccus | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 2.3)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Mallotus |
| Species: | M. tetracoccus |
| Binomial name | |
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Mallotus tetracoccus (Roxb.), Kurz. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Mallotus tetracoccus, also known as the Rusty Kamala, is a species of flowering plant in the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family. It is a tree species found in parts of south Asia, typically occurring in the edges of tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.
The following are recognized as synonyms of Mallotus tetracoccus: Mallotus albus var. occidentalis Hook.f., Mallotus ferrugineus (Roxb.) Müll.Arg., Rottlera ferruginea Roxb., and Rottlera tetracocca Roxb.
The species is known by a number of vernacular names across its range, including:
The species occurs in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar,Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Thailand, and China. Within the Western Ghats of India, it is distributed from the Konkan southwards in semi-evergreen to evergreen and shola forests, from the plains to about 1600 m elevation. It also occurs in peninsular hills such as the Shevaroy Hills and Kollimalai Hills of southern India in evergreen and secondary forests. In the north, Brandis notes the species is distributed in the outer ranges and valleys of the Sikkim Himalaya ascending to 3,000 feet (914 m), common in second growth forest. Further, it occurs in Assam, Bangladesh (including Chittagong hill tracts), Upper Myanmar, and Sri Lanka being very common in the moist low country.
This is a distinctive mid-sized or mid-storey tree species growing up to around 15 m tall. The bark is 5–8 mm thick with a grey surface, smooth and fibrous. The tree gains its rusty or coppery-white appearance from the colours of the branchlets, young parts, and undersides of leaves. The branchlets and young parts are densely grey or tawny tomentose (hairy) and the young parts are covered by rusty lepidote scales. The underside of leaves is velvety white due to stellate hairs, contrasting with the bright green and glabrous upper surface. The thinly leathery leaves are simple, alternate, and spirally arranged on the twigs. The lamina is 8–25 cm long x 6.5–20 cm broad, and variable in shape from young saplings to large trees, ranging from more or less circular to deltoid or broadly egg-shaped. The leaf apex is acuminate, and the base truncate, nearly heart-shaped or round. The leaves are peltate (prominently in young plants, more narrowly in adult trees). The leaf margin is entire or glandular dentate (toothed or lobed). The leaves are usually prominently 3-5 ribbed from base, with lateral nerves 6-8 pairs, the tertiary nerves running nearly horizontal. The stipules are lateral and fall off, while the leaf also has a long petiole (4.5–10 cm) which is stout and swollen at the base, stellate tomentose along the length, and with two glands at the top.
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