Indian Laurel / Karu-Maruthu
Terminalia elliptica
Description
General Information :
- Deciduous tree with spreading branches and heavy crown,growing up to 32 m tall;Bark with deep longitudinal fissures and grey-black.
- Leaves elliptic to ovate
- Flowers in panicles, terminal and axillary, small, dull yellow.
- Fruits a drupe with 5 broad wings, up to 5 cm long
Distribution :
- India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Habitat : Tropical moist deciduous forests and tropical dry deciduous forests
Soil : Loose, moist, alluvial loam with good water supply and drainage.
Soil pH : 5,5 - 7
Altitude :Up to 1500 m (MSL)
Rainfall :750–1900 mm
Temperature : 20–30°C
Terrain : Plain
Tree Characteristics :
- Shade bearer ad sensitive to frost and drought.
Habit : Deciduous tree
Planting Guidelines
Natural Regeneration :
- Naturally regenerated by seeds and coppice.
- It can be witnessed along the water coarse.
Artificial Regeneration :
- By root-suckers, stumps and air-layering
Seed collection and Storage :
- The tree produces abundant seed annually.
- Fruits are ripen during the months of May-June.
- About 14-15 seeds weigh one gram.
- Seeds can be stored for 2 years under ordinary conditions.
Seed Treatment :
- Seeds are soaked in hot water for 1 minute and left in cold water for 48 hours before sowing.
Nursery Technique :
- Seeds are sown in mother bed during March – April.
- Germination stats in a week and complete in a month.
- Beds are regularly watered and weeded.
- 3-4 months old nursery raised seedlings are fit for planting.
Plantation technique :
- Planting of 2-3 months old seedlings nursery Raised seedlings seedlings at a spacing 3 m x 3 m in 30 cm3 pits.
Care & Disease Control :
- Plantation should be weed free and with proper soil working.
Recommended Harvest :
Yield :
- Approximately 120 – 150 tons/ha.
Major uses :
- The timber is greyish-brown with dark streaks, hard and heavy, and used for the construction of carts and boats, for general construction, agricultural implements, water troughs, traps, 0electric poles, plywood and mine props.
- Leaves are fed for tusar silk worm.
- It is one of the finest avenue tree.