''Ficus tsjahela'' is a

fig tree ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending ...

from the family

Moraceae The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however ...

which is found in peninsular

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and Sri Lanka. It is commonly known as the ''kaaral'' in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

, ''kal-aal'' in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

and ''boviyamara'' in

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

State wise distribution

''Ficus tsjahela'' occurs in coastal regions of Maharashtra and

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, all districts of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

and in many districts of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

. In Maharashtra, the tree is found in Ahmednagar, Ratnagiri, Satara and

Sindhudurg Sindhudurg Fort (Marathi pronunciation: in̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡ is a historical fort that occupies an island in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort was built by Shivaji Maharaj.The fortress lies on the sh ...

districts. In Karnataka, ''F. tsjahela'' occurs in

Chikmagalur Chikmagalur, known officially as Chikkamagaluru, is a city and the headquarters of Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the foothills of the Mullayanagiri peak of the Western Ghats, the city attracts tourists fro ...

Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

Shimoga Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of ...

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and

South Kanara South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...

districts. In Tamil Nadu, the tree ranges in Coimbatore,

Dharmapuri Dharmapuri is a special grade town in the north western part of Tamil Nadu, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Dharmapuri district which is the first district created in Tamil Nadu after the independence of India by spli ...

Kanyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

, Nilgiri, Salem,

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tam ...

Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai ( Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruva ...

Vellore Vellore (English: ), also spelt as Velur (), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separ ...

and

Viluppuram Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a Municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district. Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major railway junction, ...

. In Kerala, the tree is reported from Neeliyar Kottam, a sacred grove in Kannur District.

Field description

Habit

Deciduous trees up to 25 m tall.

Trunk and bark

Bark dark brown; blaze red.

Branches and branchlets

Branchlets terete, glabrous. Exudates Latex white, profuse.

Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; stipules foliaceous, 0.7 cm long, caducous and leaving annular scar; petiole ca. 6 cm long, canaliculate, glabrous; lamina to 20 x 8 cm, oblong, elliptic-oblong, apex acuminate, base rounded, coriaceous, margin entire, glabrous and glossy; basally 3-nerved; midrib raised above; secondary nerves 6-10 pairs, prominent and parallel, looped near the margin; tertiary nerves reticulate.

Inflorescence / flower

Inflorescence syconia, sessile, depressed-globose, in clusters of 2-6, on very short crowded tubercles in the axils of the leaves or most frequently at the scars of fallen leaves; flowers unisexual.

Fruit and seeds

Syconium, sessile, ca. 0.5 cm across, greenish; achenes smooth.

References

* Ficus tsjahela Burm. f., Fl. Ind. 227. 1768; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 514. 1888, "tjakela"; Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1362(953). 1928; Manilal & Sivar., Fl. Calicut 277. 1982; Mohanan, Fl. Quilon Dist. 380. 1984; Ansari, Fl. Kasaragod Div. 358. 1985; Manilal, Fl. Silent Valley 260. 1988; Ramach. & V.J. Nair, Fl. Cannanore Dist. 434. 1988; Babu, Fl. Malappuram Dist. 756. 1990; Vajr., Fl. Palghat Dist. 450. 1990; M. Mohanan & Henry, Fl. Thiruvananthapuram 434. 1994; Subram., Fl. Thenmala Div. 353. 1995; Sasidh. et al., Bot. Stud. Med. Pl. Kerala 18,31. 1996; Sasidh. & Sivar., Fl. Pl. Thrissur For. 430. 1996; Sasidh., Fl. Shenduruny WLS 305. 1997; Sivar. & Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 671. 1997; Sasidh., Fl. Periyar Tiger Reserve 395. 1998; Sasidh., Fl. Chinnar WLS 299. 1999; Sasidh., Fl. Parambikulam WLS 314. 2002; Mohanan & Sivad., Fl. Agasthyamala 637. 2002; Anil Kumar et al., Fl. Pathanamthitta 466. 2005; Sunil & Sivadasan, Fl. Alappuzha Dist. 666. 2009; Ratheesh Narayanan, Fl. Stud. Wayanad Dist. 775. 2009. * Flora of Tamil Nadu, VOL. II, 1987; Matthew 1983 {{Taxonbar, from=Q16135206 tsjahela Flora of India (region) Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman