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  • Lagerstroemia Microcarpa: L. Microcarpa at Palchuram, Kottiyoor, Kerala

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    An analysis of Lagerstroemia microcarpa

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    Lagerstroemia Microcarpa

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    An analysis of Lagerstroemia microcarpa

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    203 views3 pages

    Lagerstroemia Microcarpa: L. Microcarpa at Palchuram, Kottiyoor, Kerala

    Uploaded by

    Październik
    An analysis of Lagerstroemia microcarpa

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 3

    Lagerstroemia Microcarpa

    A large number of trees exist endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Among these Lagerstroemia
    microcapa is a large deciduous tree inhabiting the moist and dry deciduous forests. It forms the
    prominent part of the dry deciduous forests in which its major associations are Terminalia elliptica,
    Anogeissus latifolia and Shorea robusta and its major associations in the moist deciduous forests
    include Terminalia bellerica, Dalbergia latifolia and Xylia xylocarpa. It attains a height of more than
    30 meters and a girth of 2 to 3 meters. The tree is easily distinguishable by its bark which peels off in
    large papery flakes. The tree is drought resistant and prefers soil with good water drainage. The tree
    also prefers areas with good sunshine. It is useful to humans in many ways: its leaves are used as
    fodder for goat, its wood provides excellent timber and the tree is also used to provide shade to
    coffee plants. Lagerstroemia microcarpa has a range spreading the entire length and width of the
    Western Ghats and can tolerate all kinds of soils in elevations upto 1200 meters above mean sea
    level. L. microcarpa is known as Nana in Marathi, Billi Nandi in Kannada and Venthekku and Vellilavu
    in Malayalam. The tree is present in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It
    is the dominant tree in the Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur National Park of Karnataka and
    Mudumalai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu, all of which are part of the Nilgiri Boisphere Reserve.

    L. microcarpa at Palchuram, Kottiyoor, Kerala


    Features
    L. microcarpa has resemblance to its close relatives like Lagerstroemia speciosa and Lagerstroemia
    parviflora in terms of its fruit and leaf properties. An adult tree has a long cylindrical bole which is
    branchless for about a height of 15 meters. Buttressing and fluting are also not prevalent in L.
    microcarpa. Branch abscission is a well-known feature of the tree. The tree sometimes has stumps
    on the main stem and branches. The tree has greyish white or yellowish white colour and young
    branches are white coloured with a reddish tinge. L. microcarpa is a slow growing tree and does not
    shed its bark in its initial years. Adult trees remain leafless for long periods in the dry season. L.
    microcarpa doesn’t need much sunshine during its first year of growth but later it is light demanding.
    The leaves of L. microcarpa are either elliptic or ovate in shape and the margin is entire. The leaves
    are glabrous and shining. In the wild the leaves of young plants are eaten by deer.

    Leaves of L. microcarpa

    Flowers are bisexual, white in colour and appear in axillary and terminal panicles. There are 6 petals,
    each 3 mm long; stamens are numerous and are inserted at the base of calyx tube; filaments long
    exserted; ovary half interior, glabrous, 4-6 valved; ovules many; style long and curved; stigma
    capitate. Flowering starts during the month of June and fruits ripen by February. Fruit is an ovoid
    capsule with 4-6 valves and contains numerous falcately winged seeds which are brown in colour.
    The seeds fall off when the capsules dehisce and are carried away by the wind to some distance
    from the parent tree.
    A seed of L. microcarpa

    Regeneration
    Natural regeneration of L. microcarpa is very low and in its habitat young plants are almost absent.
    The high unviability of seeds is a major reason for the low regeneration. Besides these frequent
    forest fires also affect the regeneration. Regeneration studies on L. microcarpa has shown a low
    germination rate of less than 20 % in nurseries.

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