Miliusa tomentosa

Miliusa tomentosa
Leaves and flowers of Miliusa tomentosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae
Genus: Miliusa
Species:
M. tomentosa
Binomial name
Miliusa tomentosa
Synonyms
  • Uvaria tomentosa Roxb.
  • Saccopetalum tomentosum Hook.f. & Thomson

Miliusa tomentosa is a large deciduous tree with 15–20 metre height.[1] It is commonly known as wooly miliusa.[2] The native range of this species is Indian subcontinent.[3] It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Description

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Woolly miliusa is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 20 m tall. Bark is blackish brown. Leaves are thick leathery, ovate, oblong, 4–10 cm long, 2–5.5 cm broad, smooth above, softly hairy below, base rounded, margin entire, tip pointed, leaf-stalk 2–5 mm. Flowers are greenish, 1.5 cm across, solitary or in pairs opposite the leaf. Sepals are about 4 mm long, linear-lanceshaped. Petals are 3+3, abount 6 mm long, outer petals sepal-like, inner ones oblong to obovate. Fruits are dark purple, nearly spherical, 8–17 arranged in a ring, 2–3 cm across, stalk 1–1.5 cm long, seeds 3–4. Flowering: May–June.[4]

Taxonomy

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It belongs to the family Annonaceae.

Biochemistry

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A qualitative preliminary phytochemical analysis of dried leaves of this plant revealed the presence of carbohydrate, protein, cardiac glycoside, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, anthraquinones, tannins, quinines and inorganic compounds.[5]

Uses

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The oil from its seeds is used in Chinese traditional medicine for its antibacterial and analgesic properties.[6]

Insect food plant

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Butterflies such as tawny rajah, tailed jay, common jay, spot swordtail, narrow banded bluebottle etc. Feed on the leaves of this tree.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Welcome ephotocorp.com - BlueHost.com". www.ephotocorp.com.
  2. ^ https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Woolly%20Miliusa.html
  3. ^ "Miliusa tomentosa (Roxb.) Finet & Gagnep. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online.
  4. ^ https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Woolly%20Miliusa.html
  5. ^ Khalid, L. P., Pulate, P. V., & Wagay, N. A. (2017). PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF MILIUSA TOMENTOSA (ROXB.) J. SINCLAIR BY USING VARIOUS ORGANIC SOLVENTS. European Journal of Biomedical, 4(05), 276–281.
  6. ^ Huong, D.T., Van, N.T.H., Kamperdick, C., Anh, N.T.H. and Sung, T.V. (2008). Two New Bis-styrylCompounds from Miliusa balansae" ChemInform, 10: 1002.
  7. ^ "Miliusa tomentosa | Butterfly". www.ifoundbutterflies.org.