Botanical Name - Miliusa velutina

----- Miliusa, Lesch.; F.B.I. I-84. M. velutina, Hook. f. & Th.; F.B.I. I-87. Brandi's Ind. Trees, 11. Gamble's Ind. Timbers, 21. Vern. Pedda-Chilkadudi, Tel.

----- A deciduous moderate sized tree, with a short erect trunk; branchlets, leaves and flowers densely silky tomentose. Bark dark-grey rough. Leaves 3-10 by 1-4 in. ovate or oblong, acute or acuminate, entire, softly tomentose on both surfaces, aromatic; base cordate. Flowers pale yellow, in 3-6 flowered lax leaf-opposed racemes at the ends of short branchlets, generally with a few laeves at the base, 2-sexual; Sepals 3, small, valvate. Petals 6, in 2 series outer small like the sepals, inner cohering when young by the margins, 3 times as long, ovate, dark brown, glabrous inside. Ovaries indefinite, linear-oblong; ovules 2. Fruit of a number of black dry 1-2 seeded berrylike carpels on short stalks, 1/4 - 1/3 in. long. forming a round head.

----- Not very common; noticed in the Godavari Forests, Mahadeopur Reserve, etc. Wood yellow when fresh cut, grey or greyish brown when dry, moderately hard; heart-wood and annual rings indistinct. A fine tree with large soft leaves. The seasoned wood is fairly hard, easily worked and durable but rather liable to warp. It is used for agricultural implements and temporary constructions. Brandis gives the weight per cubic foot from 40-50 lbs. The leaves are apparently not eaten by either cattle or goats. Flowers March to May; Fruit June and July. The tree is a moderate shade-bearer. It copices well, and also produced from root stuckers.