''Macaranga peltata'' is a
heliophyllous evergreen plant found in
Western Ghats of
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
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. A crimson colored resin called "macaranga gum" is obtained from this plant. Many parts of the plant are used for ayurvedic medicine in both countries.
Description
It is a resinous tree, up to tall. Grayish bark is smooth in texture. Leaves are simple and alternately arranged, peltate, orbicular-ovate, apex is acuminate, and palmately 8 to 9-nerved. Unisexual flowers are dioecious. One-seeded fruit is a globose capsule.
References
Cytotoxic prenylated flavonoids from ''Macaranga indica''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10910414
indica
Flora of China
Flora of tropical Asia
Dioecious plants