Kolugida / Buddha's Coconut Tree
Pterygota alata
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- April-May
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Pterygota alata
- Genus
- Pterygota
- Family
- Sterculiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- South Asia and Myanmar
- Found in India
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Mizoram, Telangana, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- April-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Its large, simple, alternate leaves are broad and ovate, with a leathery texture and prominent veins.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Its large, simple, alternate leaves are broad and ovate, with a leathery texture and prominent veins.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Its large, simple, alternate leaves are broad and ovate, with a leathery texture and prominent veins.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kolugida itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellow-greenrecorded
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“The fruit is a large, woody, winged globose capsule, which splits open upon maturity to release up to 40 winged seeds adapted for wind dispersal.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kolugida itself; the rest are typical of the Sterculiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Bengali
- Tula, Buddha-Narikel, বুদ্ধনারকেল
- Tamil
- கொடைத்தோண்டி Kodaittondi
- Kannada
- Kolugida, Tattele mara, Bekaro
- Malayalam
- Porila, ആനത്തൊണ്ടി, Buddha-coconut
About Kolugida
Buddha's Coconut tree (Pterygota alata) belongs to the Sterculiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and 8 other states. It grows in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from April to May.
Uses
Locally it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and cut for timber and furniture. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Sterculiaceae
Cacao/Cola family
Kolugida belongs to the Sterculiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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