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Carallia brachiata (Lour.) Merr.

Synonym
:
Barraldeia madagascariensis Spreng.
Family
:
Rhizophoraceae
Local name
:
English - Freshwater Mangrove
Malayalam - Vallabham
Flowering and fruiting period
:
October-April
Distribution
:
Indo-Malesia and Australia
Distribution in Kerala
:
All Districts
Habitat
:
Semi-evergreen forests, also in the plains 
Uses
:
Bark of Carallia brachiata is traditionally used in wound healing, treating itch, oral ulcer, inflammation of throat and stomatitis.    
Key Botanical Characters:
Evergreen trees; up to 25 m; bark 10-12 mm thick, dark grey, corky, furrowed, prominently pustular-lenticellate; blaze pink, petiole stout, glabrous; Leaves simple, opposite. Flowers bisexual, cream coloured, sessile, small, in short, trichotomous axillary branching cymes; bracteoles minute, calyx tube campanulate, lobes 5-8, ovate, acute, valvate; petals 5-8, clawed, orbicular-cordate, margin deeply lacerate, reddish, inserted on a crenulate disc; disc 10-16 lobed; stamens 10-16, inserted with them on the disc, one of each pair opposite the petal, slightly longer than the other filament, which is opposite to a sepal; filaments filiform; anthers small; ovary half inferior, 3-5-celled; ovules 2 in each cell; style subulate; stigma 4-lobed. Fruit a drupe, red, filiform; seed one, bright orange, subreniform.






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