Macaranga peltata

Botanical Name – Macaranga peltate

Common Name – Chandava (Marathi), Batla chamdika, Yaksh (Kannada), Chanda (Gujrati)

Distribution – Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat

Habit

  • Medium to large sized deciduous tree
  • Fast-growing

Habitat

  • Moist deciduous and secondary forests, also in the plains

Specific properties

  • Pioneer species
  • Preferred for soil reclamation, land restoration
  • Disturbance tolerant species
  • Adapted for a high intensity sunlight
  • Grows in forest edges, clearings, disturbed forests

Ecology

  • Birds, bats, squirrels feed on fruits
  • Larval host plant for Long-banded Silverline butterflies
  • Provide ideal habitat to insects such as ants, flies, wasps

Uses

  • Used to make leaf plates and wrap food-salt, sweets, jaggery etc.
  • The gum powder is used for treatment of venereal diseases
  • Yields gum, used as glue
  • Suitable for making wooden pencils, plywood, and paper pulp
  • Green Manure
  • Used in coffee plantations for shade
  • It is a resinous tree

Propagation

  • Seeds

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