Thespesia populnea (L.)Soland - Flickr - lalithamba

Description:

Description: Family: Malvaceae Local name: Portia tree, (Telugu-Gangireni) Distribution: Common along bunds of streams and canals, near coastal areas. Also planted as shade giving tree. Found in tropics. Photographed at Utukur village near Bay of Bengal in Nellore district, India. 4-7mts tall tree, evergreen, leaves 4-12x 3-10cm, cordate, long petioled, entire acuminate, 5-7nerved, base cordate, Flowers 8-10cm across, light yellow with dark purple base, solitary axilary, bracteoles 5, calyx 5 truncate,entire, Petals 5,convolute staminal tube toothed at the top, filament ends free, ovary 5 celled, ovules 2-3 in each cell, styles club shaped, 5 furrowed. Capsule 2-3cm across, globose, apically depressed, mucronate, partially enclosed by persistant calyx. Wood is used as a low quality timber. Flora of Nellore district by B.Suryanarayana &;A.S Rao, ENVIS. Date: 23 December 2008, 13:32. Source: Thespesia populnea (L.)Soland. Author: Lalithamba from India.