St Mary's College, Sulthan Bathery   /   Plant

Plant Details

Mallotustetracoccus(Roxb.), Kurz.

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.

  • Family: Euphorbiaceae
  • Habit: Flowering plant
  • Habitat: Tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
  • Status : Common


Vernacular names

  • English-Rusty Kamala

  • Malayalam-Adukanni

                            -Pottamaram

                            -Thavittuvatta 

Medicinal Uses

  • Bark and gum of the tree is used for treating fractures and venereal diseases.