1288

Dorstenia indica Wight

Synonym	:	Carota sylvestris (Mill.) Rupr
Family	:	Moraceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	February-April
Distribution	:	South India and Sri Lanka
Distribution in Kerala	:	Palakkad, Idukki, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Wayanad
Habitat	:	Evergreen forests and wet rocky areas in moist deciduous forests
Key botanical characters:  Herbs. Leaves alternate, to 9 x 2.5 cm, obovate or oblanceolate, acute, base attenuate or cuneate, membranous, distantly toothed, sparsely hirsute along the nerves beneath, nerves 8-13 pairs; petiole 1 cm long. Flowers monoecious, many, on obconical receptacle. Receptacle axillary, solitary, discoid, 5-angled, to 1.5 cm across, marginal lobes to 0.5 cm long; peduncles to 2 cm long. Male flowers towards the periphery of the receptacle; perianth connate and adnate with receptacle; stamens 3. Female flowers grouped at the centre; ovary sunken in the tissue of the receptacle; style lateral, stigmas 2. Fruit an achene, sunken.