Grewia asiatica

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiospermae
Class: Equisetopsida
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae Genus: Grewia
Species: Grewia asiatica
Scientific Name: Grewia asiatica L.

Common names
English: Black murdah, Indian laurel Hindi: Phalsa फालसा Marathi: Phalasa, Dhaman Sanskrit Mriduphal म्रदुफल

Description
Medium sized trees, ca. 8 m tall; stem with greyish-white to brown bark, young shoots stellate tomentose. Leaves simple, alternate, spiral; stipules ca. 1-1.3 cm long, narrowly oblique-lanceolate or falcate, petioles ca. 1.8 cm long; lamina ca. 5-19 x 4-15 cm long, broadly ovate or suborbicular, obliquely cordate or rounded at base, acute or acuminate at apex, crenate, scabrous above, tomentose beneath; secondary nerves 5-7 pairs. Flowers in axillary, umbellate cymes; peduncles ca. 4 cm long; buds ca. 6-11 x 4-5 mm, oblong-obovoid, ribbed, tomentose; pedicels ca. 1 cm long; sepals ca. 6-12 x 2-3 mm, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, tomentose; petals ca. 3-7 x 1.5-3 mm, yellow, oblong-obovate or linear-oblong, obtuse; glands ca. 1 x 0.7 mm, obovoid; stamens numerous; filaments ca. 4-6 mm long; ovary ca. 1.5-2.5 x 1-1.5 mm, ovoid, villous; stigma 4-lobed. Drupes ca. 7-12 mm across, red or purple, subglobose, obscurely lobed, pilose.