Urban Trees of Coastal Karnataka

By Dr Shivanand S. Bhat

Presently 50% of the global population lives in cities which occupy only 3% of the land area and it is expected that the urban population will further rise to 67% in the next 50 years. In developing countries, about 44% of the population currently lives in urban area

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers
• Release date: Jun 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9789364520690

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ACASIA

Classification

Class : Dicotyledonae

Order : Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Acacia

Species: Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth.

Common name: Babool tree (Hindi), Kari jaali (Kannada), Gum Arabic tree (English)

Botanical Name: Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth.

Family: Fabaceae

Parts used: Bark, root, gum, leaves, pods, seeds

Plant description:

Habit: Evergreen tree

Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world

Leaves: Alternate, stipulate, petiolate, compound, bipinnate & paripinnate, sessile or subsessile, minute, unicostate reticulate venation

Inflorescence: Axillary cymose head

Flower: Bracteate, sessile, complete, actinomorphic, hypogynous

Calyx: 4 to 5 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate aestivation, minute in size

Corolla: 4 or 5 petals, gamopetalous, tubular, valvate aestivation, yellow colour.

AFRICAN TULIP TREE

Botanical name: Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv

Common name: African tulip tree and Fountain tree (Eng), Rugtoora (Hin), Patadi (Tamil), Neeru kaayi and Ucche kaayi (Kan) Classification:

Sub- division: Angiospermae

Class: Dicotyledonae

Family: Bignoniaceae

Order: Lamiales

Genus: Spathodea

Species: Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv

Habit: Deciduous ornamental tree

Leaves: Pinnate leaves, unicostate, reticulate venation, petiolate, opposite or sub opposite.

Inflorescence: terminal corymb like raceme.

Flower: Large, showy, scarlet orange, funnel shaped, bisexual, zygomorphic, pedicellate.

Calyx: Sepals are fused to form horn-like structure i.e., calyx tube. The calyx tube splits along one side as the flowers open.

Corolla: Petal-5

Androecium: Stamens 4, large brown anthers present on 5 cm long filaments.

Gynoecium: Hypogynous ovary, 2 celled, long yellow style with reddish stigma.

Fruit: elongated pod, dark brown, seeds are edible, flat thin and winged.

Special feature: It is a weed which is toxic to stingless bees

Flowering season: March to December

Mode of propagation: Through seed and stem cutting.

Uses:

• It is an avenue tree.

• It is an ornamental tree.

Androecium: Stamens, dithecous, basifixed, yellow colour.

Gynoecium: Monocarpellary, superior, unilocular, ovules many, marginal placentation, shortly stalked ovary, style long, stigma flat and minute

Fruit: Legume, minutely hairy

Special feature of the part used: Chewing small pieces of babool bark daily strengthens the teeth and gums

Flowering season: July to December

Mode of propagation: Vegetative propagation

Harvesting of Acacia: November to February

Uses:

• The wood is used for construction of houses.

• The wood is also used in making furniture.

• It is an avenue tree.

APOROSA

Botanical name: Aporosa lindleyana Blume

Common name: Sali, sarali (Kannada), Kodali (Malyalum)

Classification:

Sub-division: Angiospermae

Class: Dicotyledonae

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Genus: Aporosa

Species: A. lidleyana

Plant description:

Habit: medium dioecious tree

Leaves: Simple, alternate, stipulate, swollen at end, reticulate venation, entire margin, petiolate

Inflorescence: Male flowers in Catkin, Female flowers in cyme

Flower: unisexual, incomplete

Calyx: sepals-4

Corolla: Absent

Androecium: Stamens 3-4, filament didynamous

Gynoecium: Bifid stigma

Fruit: Capsule, 2-4 seeded

Flowering season: December to June

Mode of propagation: Through seeds.

Uses:

• The fruits are edible.

• The wood is used for construction purposes.

• The wood is also used as fuel.

ARECA NUT

Classification:

Class: Monocotyledonae

Order: Arecales

Family: Arecaceae

Genus: Areca

Species: A.catechu

Common name: Areca nut, betal nut, Indian nut (English), Adike (Kannada), Ataykka (Malayalam).

Botanical name: Areca catechu (L.)

Part used: Nut, Leaf, Tree

Plant description:

Habit: Cultivated, perennial tree.

Leaves: Leaves are pinnately compound, exstipulate, alternate, unicostate, parallel venation

Inflorescence: Compound spadix, flowers enclosed by top large boat shaped bract spathe fat

Flower: Sessile, bracteate, actinomorphic, unisexual, incomplete hypogynous male flower occupy upper part of peduncle small and produced in large number female flowers are few in number

Calyx: Sepal 3, imbricate aestivation.

Perianth: Tepals 6, valvate or imbricate aestivation

Androecium: Stamens 6, Dithecous

Gynoecium: Tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary with single ovule Fruit: Drupe

Flowering season: usually begin to flower and fruit after 7 years from seed

Mode of propagation: Only by seed

Uses:

• Betel nut is commonly used for chewing.

• Betel nuts are commonly used in poojas.

• Betel nut powder is used for whitening the tooth.

• Betel nut powder is mixed with sesame oil and applied on joints to get relief from joint pain.

• Now medicine is prepared from nut for diabetes.

ARJUN TREE

Botanical name: Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. Ex DC.) Wight & Arn.

Common name: Bilimatti, Nir matti (Kan), Arjuna (Hin), Maiyokpha (Manipuri)

Classification:

Sub- division: Angiospermae

Class: Dicotyledonae

Family: Combretaceae

Genus: Terminalia

Species: T. arjuna

Habit: Large deciduous tree

Leaves: Simple, elliptic, acute, petiolate, unicostate, reticulate venation, presence of two glands near the apex, sub- opposite.

Inflorescence: Panicle of spikes.

Flower: actinomorphic, bisexual, small, white, sessile.

Calyx: Sepals -5, triangular lobes

Corolla: Absent

Androecium: Stamens 10 in two series, exerted, disc is present inside the stamens.

Gynoecium: Ovary ellipsoid, 1.5 t0 2 mm long, style is long up to 5mm disc villous.

Fruits: It is ovoid, 5-winged, wings are leathery, glabrous, truncate

Flowering season: March – May

Mode of propagation: through seeds

Uses:

• Timber is used for construction purposes.

• Bark is used in medicine as a tonic, antidysenteric

• Seeds are edible

• Wild silk of commercial importance feeds on the leaves of arjuna.

ASHOKA TREE

Classification:

Class : Dicotyledonae

Order : Fabales

Family : Fabaceae

Genus : Saraca

Species : S. asoca

Common name: Ashoka tree (English), Ashoka da mara Kannada), Ashoka (Hindi)

Botanical Name: Saraca asoca (Roxb) Willd.

Family: Fabaceae

Parts used: bark, flowers & sometimes seeds

Plant description:

Habit: Small tree. It is found in various regions of India & Sri Lanka

Leaves: compound, alternate, paripinnate, reticulate venation, petiolate, entire margin, unicostate, young leaves are pink in colour.

Inflorescence: Corymb

Flower: Bracteate, pedicellate, bisexual, intrapetiolar stipules

Calyx: sepals are yellow to orange in color

Corolla: petals absent.

Androecium: stamens 8-10, versatile anthers.

Gynoecium: hairy ovary, curved style, capitate stigma.