Botanical name: Eriolaena hookeriana    Family: Sterculiaceae (Cacao family)
Synonyms: Eriolaena hookeriana var. viridis

Deccan Salmonwood is a deciduous medium-sized tree. Leaves are up to 8-13 x 8-12 cm, ovate, round, tapering or blunt, heart-shaped at base, 5-7 nerved, densely star-shaped velvet-hairy below; leaf-stalk 3-6 cm. Flowers are borne in 2-3 flowered cymes borne in the leaf axils; they are stalked and hang downwards or positioned at right angles to the axis. They are large, yellow, mildly fragrant, bisexual. They have 5 free petals, arranged alternate to sepals; golden yellow, reflexed, with thickened, densely velvet-hairy claws. The staminal column is elongate and antheriferous throughout. Filaments arise from the entire length of the staminal column and each filament is tipped with fertile anthers. The sepal-cup has 5 linear to lanceshaped hairy sepals which are pale green with light brown tinge. The ovary is stalkless, spherical, velvet-hairy and 7-9 celled; it extends into prominent style and tipped with 7-9 stigma lobes. The stigmatose style is far beyond the length of staminal column. Each locule contains 5-8 ovules only. The fruit is a 2.5-3 cm long 8-9 valved ellipsoid-ovoid capsule with 4-5 seeds which are 1.2-1.6 cm long and winged at tip. The mature, dry capsules split a bit explosively releasing winged seeds into the air. Deccan Salmonwood is native to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
Medicinal uses: The mucilage from the bark is mixed with water and given as a cure for stomach aches. The root extracts contain certain phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolic compounds which have effective antimicrobial properties.

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The flower labeled Deccan Salmonwood is ...