Exbucklandia populnea

Pipli Tree is an evergreen, medium-sized tree, up to 36 m tall. The species name populnea indicates its similarity to Poplars. Trunk is branchless for up to 24 m, and can be up to 110 cm in diameter, not buttressed. Bark surface is fissured with fine adhering scales, dark brown, inner bark fibrous, pink. The tree has a dense crown. Leaves are arranged spirally, simple, entire but palmately 3-5-lobed in saplings, on long stalks. Stipules are large, joined face to face. Flowers are borne in a stalked, 7-20-flowered head, bisexual or female. Bisexual flower is without sepals; petals 2-7, linear; stamens 10-14; disk 5-10-lobed. Female flower as the bisexual one but with 0-4 petals and no stamens. Fruit is a woody head of 4-valved capsules. Seeds 6-8 in each cell but only the lower 1-2 fertile and winged. Pipli Tree is found in the Himalayas, from Nepal to Bhutan, at altitudes of 1300-2100 m. It is also found in Assam, east to China, south to Malaya and Sumatra. Flowering: May-July.