Sterculiaceae · Pterospermum

Kanak Champa / Dinnerplate Tree

Pterospermum acerifolium

Tree
Habit
Tree
Found in India
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh & more
Flowering
March-December

Plant Details

Scientific name
Pterospermum acerifolium
Genus
Pterospermum
Habit
Tree
Native to
Continental Asia
Distribution
Introduced elsewhere
Found in India
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu
Flowering & fruiting
March-December
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.The leaves grow in an alternate arrangement. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.Leaf shape can range from oblong, broadly obovate to ovate. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Toothed leaf margin
Leaf margin
ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).Leaf edges are commonly dentate (toothed) or irregularly lobed. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface
HirsuterecordedCovered in coarse, stiff, bristly hairs.The leaves are rough and rubbery to limit the loss of moisture in a hot climate. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Palmate venation leaf character
Venation
Palmate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kanak Champa itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
White/creamrecorded

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Panicle
Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kanak Champa itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
Kanak Champa कनक चम्पा, Muchkund मचकुंद,कनक चम्पा kanaka champa
Bengali
Muskanda, মুচকুন্দ
Tamil
வெண்ணங்கு Vennangu
Telugu
Matsakanda
Kannada
ರಾಜತರು Raajataru, ಕನಕಚಂಪಕ Kanaka champaka, ಕೊಸಗು Kosagu
Malayalam
ചെറുകൊന്ന, Pterospermum acerifolium, മലന്തുടലി
Marathi
मुचकुंद Muchakund, Karnikar

About Kanak Champa

A member of the Sterculiaceae family, Dinnerplate Tree (Pterospermum acerifolium) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and 15 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from March to December.

Uses

Locally it is long used in traditional medicine, planted as an ornamental and distilled for an aromatic oil. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

Illustration representing the Sterculiaceae family
Botanical family

Sterculiaceae

Cacao/Cola family

Kanak Champa belongs to the Sterculiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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