Chela / South-Indian Fig
Ficus beddomei
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering
- July-February
How to identify Chela
Identify Chela by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Confirm leaf shape: Elliptic (widest at middle).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-February.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
- Confirm it sits within the Moraceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Chela.
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chela itself; the rest are typical of the Moraceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Catkin
- Fruit
- Drupe
Typical of the Moraceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- തവിട്ടാൽ, Chela, Thavittaal
About Chela
South-Indian Fig (Ficus beddomei) belongs to the Moraceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. It grows in semi-evergreen, Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from July to February.
Moraceae
Fig/Mulberry family
Chela belongs to the Moraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Moraceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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