Aisar / Velvet Beauty Berry
Callicarpa tomentosa
Also known as Great Woolly Malayan Lilac
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Callicarpa tomentosa
- Genus
- Callicarpa
- Family
- Verbenaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India to Southeast Asia
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malesia, North Hong kong
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“Leaves simple, opposite;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Leaves simple, opposite;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Tomentose (woolly, matted hairs)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Aisar itself; the rest are typical of the Verbenaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Pinkrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- CymerecordedA branched cluster where the central/terminal flower opens first.“Purplish flowers show branched axillary cymes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- DruperecordedA fleshy fruit with a single hard stone/pit enclosing the seed.“Fruit is 3-4 seeded globose drupe.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Drupe
Characters marked “recorded” are for Aisar itself; the rest are typical of the Verbenaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- காட்டுக்குமிழ் kattu-k-kumil
- Telugu
- బోడిగచెట్టు bodiga chettu
- Kannada
- ಆರತಿ ಗಿಡ aarati gida, ದೊಡ್ಡ ನಾತದ ಗಿಡ dodda nathada gida, ಇಬನ್ನೆ ಗಿಡ ibanne gida
- Malayalam
- നായ്ക്കുമ്പിൾ nay-kkumpi, നായ് ക്കുമ്പിൾ, Callicarpa tomentosa
- Marathi
- ऐसर aisar, हेसूर hesur
About Aisar
Velvet Beauty Berry (Callicarpa tomentosa) belongs to the Verbenaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 3 other states. It grows in semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.
Verbenaceae
Verbena/Teak family
Aisar belongs to the Verbenaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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