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Mountain Maesa
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Mountain Maesa
ative Photo: Krishan Lal
Common name: Mountain Maesa • Hindi: Gadchiana • Khasi: Dieng jasim, Jasiet • Mizo: Arngeng • Nepali: कृमिघ्न फल Krimighna Phal, थिन्के Thinke
Botanical name: Maesa montana    Family: Primulaceae (Primrose family)
Synonyms: Maesa formosana, Maesa martinii, Maesa henryi

Mountain Maesa is a large shrubs or small tree, 2-3 m tall. Branchlets are rund terete, white velvet-hairy to hairless, pith solid. Leaf-stalks are deeply grooved, 1-1.5 cm. Leaves are elliptic, oblong, or lanceshaped, rarely broadly ovate, 7-14 x 3-7 cm, membranous, base wedge-shaped or blunt, margin coarsely toothed or wavy with punctate teeth, tip pointed or long-pointed. Lateral veins are 8-12 on each side of midrib, ending in teeth. Flowers are borne in racemes or panicles 2-7 cm, in leaf axils. Bracteoles are minute, lanceshaped or ovate. Flowers are about 2 mm. Flower-stalks are about 1-2 mm. Sepals are ovate or oblong, hairless or sometimes frilly, entire, tip blunt. Flowers are white, bell-shaped, petals ovate, as long as or longer than tube, margin entire or toothed, tip blunt or rounded. Stamens remain in the flower throat. Fruit is a white, round or ovoid berry, 3-4 mm in diameter, orange dotted, with persistent sepals covering 2/3-3/4 of fruit. Mountain Maesa is found from Nepal to NE India, Myanmar, Thailand and China, at altitudes of 400-2800 m. Flowering: February-April.

Identification credit: Krishan Lal Photographed in Sirmaur Distt, Himachal Pradesh & Lava, Kalimpong.

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