Common name: Nilgiri cheese wood Tamil name: Analivegam
Nilgiris cheese wood is seen around evergreen shola forest areas, and prefers the elevation range of 1500 msl to 2300 msl. The tree grows to a height of about 5-6 meters. It is one of most handsome trees of the shola forest, especially when in full bloom. The bark of the tree is rather smooth and has a light grey color appearance.. The leafs are simple arranged in an alternate-spiral manner; leaf margins are very gently cremate; the upper surface is dark green in color. The leafs are obovate-elliptical in shape, a portion of the leaf seems to grow over the leaf stalk. The leaf stalk measure around 1.5 cm; the leaf length is around 8 cm. The inflorescence is in the form of a cyme, the fragrant flowers are yellow-white in color with five petals which are joined below into a tube. The flower measurers around 2 cm across. The flowers are bisexual and radially symmetric. The tree emits a foul order when parts are crushed. The fruit is in the form of a capsule. The sticky capsule encloses 4-5 seeds. Nilgiri Cheese wood is considered as a sacred tree by locals and is used in treatment of snake bites. Pittosporace consists of around 250 species, they are mostly in the form of shrubs or small trees. They have typically alternate leaf arrangement and the inflorescence is in the form of cyme and flowers are yellow or white in color and the fruit is in the form of a capsule. They are geographically distributed around South Africa, Madagascar and Middle east. The Nilgiris cheese wood is perhaps a rare tree and more needs to be planted. The tree when in full bloom look very handsome and should be promoted as a preferred tree for landscaping in hilly areas.
