Semecarpus auriculata Bedd

Semecarpus auriculata Bedd

Know our Plant

Systematic Classification:

Division     : Angiospermae
Class        : Dicotyledons
Family	     : Anacardiaceae
Genus        : Semecarpus
Species	     : auriculata

Common Name:

Mamcheru, Vellacheru

General Information:

Large trees, up to 35 m tall.Bark smooth; blaze light brown.Branchlets minutely pubescent when young.Latex acrid, watery, gradually turning black.Leaves simple, alternate, spiral, clustered at twig ends; petiole 0.2-0.7 cm long, stout, flat above, glabrous; lamina 8-28 x 2.2-7 cm long, oblanceolate, apex acuminate with blunt tip, base auriculate, subcoriaceous; midrib flat or slightly impressed above; nerves and reticulation raised on both surface; secondary nerves 7-18 pairs, nearly straight and curved near margin, moderate in angle; tertiary nerves reticulate.Inflorescence axillary panicle, 7-15 cm long; flowers polygamous.Drupe, obliquely obovate, black, seated on fleshy obconic hypocarp, 1-seeded.

Economic Importance:

  • Its use in making a permanent marking ink, this multi-purpose tree also provides food, medicines, oil etc.
  • It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in the tropics