Moraceae

Native: Indo-Malaesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea

Systematic Position

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Streptophyta

Order: Rosales

Family: Moraceae

Common Names

English – Sacking Tree

Malayalam – അരയാഞ്ഞിലി, മരവുരി

Description: A lofty deciduous tree growing up to 45 m height with 180cm trunk diameter. Bark grey to brownish-grey, and buttressed when mature, especially that grow in evergreen habitat. Leaves are simple, alternate, stalked, hairy leaves have membranous to slightly leathery leaf blades that are oblong-oval, 7.5–20cm long and 3.6–8.5cm wide. Plant is monoecious (male and female flowers on the same plant in different flowers). Male flowers are rounded and female flowers are pear-shaped. Fruit a drupe, 1.5-2.5 x 1-2 cm, pyriform or obovoid, fleshy, scarlet, velvety.

Distribution:  In old world tropics (paleotropics)

Uses: The latex is used to make dart and arrow poisons, as well as fish poison and birdlime. The leaves, bark, and seeds are used as an anodyne, antidysenteric, and febrifuge. The leaves and root are also used to treat mental illnesses. The bark is used to make a strong, coarse bark cloth for clothing. The clothes are often decorated with a dye produced from the bark tannins.