Mulipolavu / South-Indian Kanak Champa
Pterospermum reticulatum
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
- Flowering
- December-May
How to identify Mulipolavu
Identify Mulipolavu 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: Prominently net-veined leaves.
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate (long, narrow, tapering to a point).
- Confirm flower colour: White/cream.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: December-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala.
- Confirm it sits within the Sterculiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Mulipolavu.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Pterospermum reticulatum
- Genus
- Pterospermum
- Family
- Sterculiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Semi-Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala
- Flowering & fruiting
- December-May
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Lanceolate (long, narrow, tapering to a point)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mulipolavu itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White/creamrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mulipolavu itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- Mulipolavu
- Malayalam
- മലവൂരം, Malayuram, Pterospermum reticulatum
About Mulipolavu
South-Indian Kanak Champa (Pterospermum reticulatum) belongs to the Sterculiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It grows in semi-Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from December to May.
Sterculiaceae
Cacao/Cola family
Mulipolavu 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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