Chand Kal / Indian Lotus Croton
Macaranga peltata
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- February-November
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Macaranga peltata
- Genus
- Macaranga
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests, secondary forests and in plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India including Andaman Islands, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Leaves measure 20 to 50 centimetres (7.9 to 19.7 in) by 12 to 21 centimetres (4.7 to 8.3 in), are alternately arranged, circular or broadly ovate, entire or minutely dentate, and p” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Leaves measure 20 to 50 centimetres (7.9 to 19.7 in) by 12 to 21 centimetres (4.7 to 8.3 in), are alternately arranged, circular or broadly ovate, entire or minutely dentate, and p” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chand Kal itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- GreenrecordedGreen or greenish
- Flower arrangement
- PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.“Yellow-green flowers occur in long panicles in in the months of January to February.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“One round, black seed is in a spherical capsule 4 to 5 mm across.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chand Kal itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Chand Kal
- Tamil
- Vattakanni
- Telugu
- Boddi
- Kannada
- ಬೆಟ್ಟದಾವರೆ Bettadavare, Vattathamarai, ಚಂದಕಲ Chandakala ಉಪ್ಪಲಿಗೆ Uppalige
- Malayalam
- വട്ട Vatta, Thodukanni, Uppila
- Marathi
- चांदा Chanda, चांदवड Chandwar, चांदाडा Chandada
About Chand Kal
Indian Lotus Croton (Macaranga peltata) belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and 10 other states. It grows in moist deciduous forests, secondary forests and in plains. Flowering and fruiting run from February to November.
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge/Euphorbia family
Chand Kal belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Euphorbiaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Chand Kal or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.