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Madhuca neriifolia (Moon) H.J.Lam

Synonym	:	Bassia malabarica Bedd.
Family	:	Sapotaceae
Local name	:	Malayalam - Attu-ilippa, Kattirippa
Flowering and fruiting period	:	November-March
Distribution	:	India and Sri Lanka
Distribution in Kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Banks of rivers in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, also in the plains
IUCN Status	:	Least concerned
Uses	:	The flowers are used as cooling agent, tonic, aphrodisiac, astringent, demulcent and also for the treatment of helminths, acute and chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis and bronchitis.
Key Botanical Characters:   Evergreen trees, up to 15 m high, bark 6-8 mm thick, dark brown to grey, deeply fissured and peeling off in rectangular strips, latex milky.  Leaves simple, alternate, crowded at the tip of branchlets. Flowers bisexual, yellowish-white, in axillary subterminal fascicles, pedicels minutely tomentose, enlarges in fruit. Calyx tube ovate-acute, minutely tomentose. Corolla lobes 8-10, campanulate, tomentose outside except the margins. Stamens 16-20 in 2 rows, anthers linear, appendage 1 mm long, filaments short, villous; anthers lanceolate, long ciliate at base, connective produced. Ovary 0.5 cm long, oblong, superior, glabrous without, 6-8-celled; ovules 1 in each cell; style slender. Fruit a berry, beaked; seed one, pale brown and shining, narrowly ellipsoid, 2.5 cm long, compressed, acute at both ends.