Heritiera papilio
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering
- January-May
How to identify Heritiera papilio
Identify Heritiera papilio 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.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Butterfly-shaped winged fruit.
- Confirm leaf shape: Elliptic (widest at middle).
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow-green.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
- Confirm it sits within the Sterculiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Heritiera papilio.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Heritiera papilio
- Genus
- Heritiera
- Family
- Sterculiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Bangladesh
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Heritiera papilio itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellow-greenrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Heritiera papilio itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Heritiera papilio
A member of the Sterculiaceae family, Heritiera papilio is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. It grows in evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from January to May.
Sterculiaceae
Cacao/Cola family
Heritiera papilio belongs to the Sterculiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sterculiaceae 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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