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Bridal Couch Tree
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Bridal Couch Tree
ative Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Bridal Couch Tree • Hindi: काला बचनाग kala bachnag, भुरकुर bhurkur • Marathi: भोरसाल or भोरसाळ bhorsal, भौरसाळ bhoursal, भ्रमरसाळी bhramarsali, दोंद्रु dondru, कंबळ kambal, कुडा kuda • Tamil: வெள்ளைக்கடம்பு vellai-k-katampu • Malayalam: ചക്കതേക്ക് cakkatheekk, ഇത്തിള്‍ iththil, പെരുന്തൊലി peruntholi • Telugu: బందారుచెట్టు bandaaru-chettu • Kannada: ಬಿಂದಾರೆ, ಬಿಂದರೆ Bindare, ಬಿಂದಾರಿ Bindari, ಬಂದಾರಿ Bandaari, ದಿಡ್ಡಿ ಮರ Diddi mara, ದೊಡ್ಡಿ ಮರ Doddi mara, ದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರ Dalli mara, ದೊಡ್ಡತೊಪ್ಪೆ Dodda toppe • Bengali: latikarum • Oriya: dudupa, guliya • Konkani: दाम्डेली damdeli • Assamese: kodam, paroli • Gujarati: ભમ્મર છાલ bhammar chaal, લુણીયો luniyo, મધમહુડો madhamahudo • Khasi: dieng dohlbong sir • Sanskrit: भ्रमरछल्ली bhramarchalli, भृङ्गःवृक्ष bhringah-vriksha, उग्रगन्ध ugragandha • Nepali: लति कर्मा lati karma • Mizo: Chobawng
Botanical name: Hymenodictyon orixense    Family: Rubiaceae (Coffee family)
Synonyms: Hymenodictyon excelsum, Cinchona excelsa

Bridal Couch Tree is a small to medium-sized tree, growing up to 25 m tall. Trunk is usually rather straight, up to 50 cm in diameter. Bark is smooth, greyish-brown. Oppositely arranged leaves are obovate or ovate to elliptical-lanceolate, with scattered minute hairs all over the upper surface. Stipules are ovate, with tiny teeth-like glands on the margin. Flowers are borne in 10 cm long panicles at the end of branches. Lateral branches are generally curving upwards. Flowers have parts in fives. Sepals are minute, flowers are trumpet-shaped, short-hairy outside. Stamens remain inside the throat of the flowers. Fruit is an ellipsoid, 2-valved, many-seeded capsule. Seed are flat and winged all around.

Identification credit: Satish Pardeshi Photographed at Mahuli fort, Maharashtra.

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