Common Name: Toxic gooseberry. Tamil Name; Otuvankkay
Toxic gooseberry is a deciduous small tree with a round crown and grows to a height of about 7 meters. It is native tree of Indian subcontinent. The bark of the tree is brown in color with flaking scales. The leaves are arranged in an alternate manner; leaf shape is obovate to round; the leaf tip is mucronate. The leaf stalk and leaf length measure around 6 mm and 4.2 cm respectively. The inflorescence is axillary and monoecious (male and female occur separately in the same plant). The flower is yellow-green in color and consists of five petals each measuring around 4 mm each. Fruit is in the form of a 3 lobed capsule which split open to release the seeds. Toxic gooseberry is seen around deciduous forest areas near Malampuzha dam. The entire plant is extremely poisonous.
