Katu - Fren Leaf Tree
Filicium decipiens
Summary
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiosperm
Class: Dicotyledonae
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Filicium
Species: F.decipiens
Scientific Name: Filicium decipiens (Wight & Arn.) Thwaites.
Common Names:
English: Fern tree, Fern leaf tree.
Hindi: Katu, Puveras.
Kannada: Neeroli, Kaadu hoovarasi.
Discription:
- Habit and Habitat: A small tree. Evergreen and semi-evergreen forest, also grown as ornamental tree, Terrestrial habitat.
- Distribution: Native to Ethiopia, Malavyi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascer, Comoro islands, India and Srilanka.
- Morphology:
Leaf: Bright green fern like and a winged rachis. Pinnate, leaflets 6 to 8 pairs, glaborous, shinig, opposite or some alternate, sessile, linear - oblong, midrib prominent, rachis with a broad leafy wing on either side between the leaflets, broad at top but narrowing downwards. Infloroscence: Panicles.
Flower: Small, many, unisexual. Sepals persistent, imbricate, petals as long as sepals, disc hairy.
Gynoceium: Ovary globous, 2 celled, 1 ovuled, style short, curved.
Fruit: a droop purple.
Seeds: one oblong.
Flowering and Fruiting time: January – February. - Propagation: by seeds.
- Importance:
Suitable for avenue planting. Salt and salinity tolerant. Good for screening. Used for its medicinal value. - Location: Sports Ground, New Building.