Family: Combretaceae

Common Name: महा धावडा

Etymology - Genus: Upward-tiled, refers to the scale-like fruiting heads

Etymology - Species: Tapering to a long point

Ecosystem: Deciduous

Origin: Native

Location: Pune - Yerawada

Description: Dry deciduous tall tree. Dark bark with white line along the stem. Observed a white colour secondary branch shooting straight up. Tertiary branches are dropping or hanging down (pendulous). Whole tree turns brown during fruiting and a thick layer of scaly fruits is collected on the ground below. Simple leaf, smaller than A latifolia. Peduncles are not branched. Spherical head inflorescence. The whole tree burst into thousands of flower heads, quiet a spectacle to watch. Green yellowish flowers give out pleasant smellFlowers don’t have petals.Fruit is a 2-winged, packed into a dense head. Fruits when mature, showers on ground and literally form a brown layer.Each fruit has a single seed

Root type: Taproot-Woody hard

Stem Appearance: Tree

Stem Cross Section: Circular

Stem Texture: Rough bark with stretchmarks

Root-Stem-Bark Description: Dry deciduous tall tree. Dark bark with white line along the stem. Observed a white colour secondary branch shooting straight up. Tertiary branches are dropping or hanging down (pendulous). Whole tree turns brown during fruiting and a thick layer of scaly fruits is collected on the ground below.

Leaf - Characters

Attachment: Petiolate

Stipules: Exstipulate

Leaf Type: Simple

Phyllotaxy: Alternate-Spiral

Leaf Description: Simple leaf, smaller than A latifolia.

Leaflet - Characters

Lamina: Elliptic

Lamina Bases: Obtuse

Lamina Margins: Entire

Lamina Apices: Acute

Lamina Texture: Glabrous

Venation: Reticulate-Unicostate

Leaflet Description:

Fruit type: Achene

Fruit type Description: Fruit is a 2-winged, packed into a dense head. Fruits when mature, showers on ground and literally form a brown layer.

Seed Type: Dicotyledon

Germination type:

Dispersion Method:

Preprocessing for germination:

Germination time:

Seed shelf life:

Germination %: Very difficult to germinate, need more experimentation.

Seed Description: Each fruit has a single seed