Macaranga peltata
| Macaranga peltata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Macaranga peltata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Macaranga |
| Species: | M. peltata |
| Binomial name | |
| Macaranga peltata Roxb. Mueller | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Macaranga peltata is a plant found in northern Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. It is one of the most widely occurring early successional woody species in Sri Lanka, specially in low country wet zone.[1] Some of the many common names include kenda - කැන්ද or kanda in Sri Lanka and chandada in India.[2]
Description
It is a resinous tree, up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall. Young parts are velvet hairy. Leaves measure 20 to 50 centimetres (7.9 to 19.7 in) by 12 to 21 centimetres (4.7 to 8.3 in), are alternately arranged, circular or broadly ovate, entire or minutely dentate, and palmately 9-nerved. The leaf stalk is attached on the lower surface of the leaf, not on the base.
Yellow-green flowers occur in long panicles in leaf axils in the months of January to February. Male flowers are minute, numerous, and clustered in the axils of large bracts. One round, black seed is in a spherical capsule 4 to 5 mm across.
Uses
Kenda leaves are commonly used for flavoring in Sri Lanka. Halapa dough is often flattened on a kenda leaf to soak in the flavor.[3] Kenda leaves are used to wrap jaggery and other sweetmeats.[4]
Today the major use of Macranga Peltata (Vatta) is for making Wooden Pencils and Plywood Industry. The District of Quilon (Kollam)in State of Kerala produce nearly 75 to 100 Truck Loads of Pencil Slats. Though this wood is not as good as Cedar, Geluthong, Linden for making Pencils, Indian Pencil Industry survive on this wood.
References
- ↑ K. K. I. U. Aruna Kumara, U. Wickramasinghe, G. A. Dayathilaka, R. Senarathne. "Forestry and Environment Symposium 2000, Sri Lanka: Studies on Dormancy and Germination Dynamics of Macranga Peetata [sic] (Kanda) An Early Successional Species". Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ↑ "Macaranga peltata - Chandada". Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ↑ Manjula Hettiarachchi, David C. Hilmers, Chandrani Liyanage and Steven A. Abrams. "Na2EDTA Enhances the Absorption of Iron and Zinc from Fortified Rice Flour in Sri Lankan Children". Nuclear Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka and U.S. Department of Agriculture/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ↑ Sri Bharathie, K.P. "Non-Wood Forest products in Asia". Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAPA), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rapa Publication 1994. Retrieved 2009-12-30.