FoI
Governor's Plum
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Governor's Plum
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Governor's Plum, Batoka Plum, flacourtia, Indian plum, Madagascar plum, Mauritius plum, Rhodesia plum • Hindi: बिलाङ्गड़ा Bilangada • Marathi: अठरुन Athruna, तांबूट Tambut • Tamil: சொத்தைக்களா Cottai-k-kala • Kannada: ಕುಡುವಲೆ Kuduvale, ಗಜಾಲೆ Gajaale, ಹೆತ್ತರಿಮುಳ್ಳು Hettari mullu, ಮುಳ್ಳುತಾರೆ Mullu Taare • Malayalam: കരിമുള്ളി Karimulli • Telugu: నక్కనేరేడు Nakka-neredu • Konkani: बाभुळी तांबट Babhuli Tambat • Sanskrit: श्रृववृक्ष Shruvavrikksha
Botanical name: Flacourtia indica    Family: Salicaceae (Willow family)
Synonyms: Flacourtia parvifolia, Gmelina indica

Governor's Plum is a small tree or large shrub, usually 3-5 m tall, sometimes 10 m. Bark is usually pale, grey, powdery, may become brown to dark grey and flaking, revealing pale orange patches. Vegetative parts may be smooth or densely velvety. Leaves are red or pink when young, variable in size, oval to round, up to 12 cm, margin toothed, becoming leathery. Leaf stalk is up to 2 cm long. Flowers are unisexual or occasionally bisexual. Male flowers are borne in 0.5-2 cm long racemes in leaf axils. Sepals are 5-6, broadly ovate, tip pointed to rounded, 1.5-2.5 mm long and broad. Female flowers occur in short racemes or solitary. Styles are 4-8, central, fused at the base, spreading, up to 1.5 mm long. Fruit is round, reddish to reddish-black or purple when ripe, fleshy, up to 2.5 cm across, with persistent styles. The genus name Flacourtia honours E. de Flacourt (1607-60), a governor of Madagascar.

Identification credit: Dinesh Valke Photographed in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh & Jharkhand.

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