''Holoptelea integrifolia'', the Indian elm or jungle cork tree, is a species of tree in the family

Ulmaceae The Ulmaceae () are a family of flowering plants that includes the elms (genus ''Ulmus''), and the zelkovas (genus ''Zelkova''). Members of the family are widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone, and have a scattered distribution e ...

, and a close relative to the true elms (''

Ulmus Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of Nor ...

''). It is native to most of

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

Indo-China Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

and

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

. It is found mostly on plains but also in mountains on elevations up to 1100 m.

Description

The Indian elm is a large deciduous tree, about 20–25 m tall (rarely over 30 m), with a broad crown featuring several ascending branches. Bark is grey in colour, covered with blisters, peeling in corky scales on old trees. Leaves are alternately arranged, elliptic-ovate in shape, 8–13 cm long and 3–6.5 cm wide, smooth, with entire margins (occasionally toothed), and a pointed tip. Leaf base is rounded or heart-shaped. Stipules are lance-shaped. Crushed leaves emit an unpleasant odour. Flowers are small, greenish-yellow to brownish, pubescent, borne in short racemes or fascicles at the scars of fallen leaves. Sepals are velvety, often 4. Fruit is a circular samara, 2.5 cm in diameter, with membranous, net-veined wings, and flat seed.

Cultivation and uses

''Holoptelea integrifolia'' is used for timber which makes cheap furniture and also used as firewood in rural parts. It is also used in ecological forestry for its heat and drought tolerance and regenerative abilities. Its flowers, leaves and bark have medicinal uses against several diseases.

Gallery

File:18th century illustration flora of the coast of Coromandel Coast India Plants Fruits Flowers (11).jpg, 18th century illustration flora of the coast of Coromandel Coast India Plants File:Holoptelea integrifolia leaf in winter at Akola, Maharashtra, India.JPG, Holoptelea integrifolia leaf in

Akola Akola () is a municipal corporation and the third largest city in Vidarbha after Nagpur and Amravati and tenth largest city in Maharashtra. is located about east of the state capital, Mumbai, and west of the second capital, Nagpur. Akola ...

, India File:Krachao (Thai- กระเชา) (3204081018).jpg, A mature Indian elm tree in fall File:Jungle Cork tree (3263013054).jpg, Bark File:Holoptelea integrifolia (3261045098).jpg, Flower File:Holoptelea integrifolia 02.jpg, Unripe fruit File:A Seed of Indian Elm (Holoptelea integrifolia) 01.jpg, Ripe fruit

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13110312 Ulmaceae Flora of tropical Asia