Elaeodendron glaucum (Rottb.) Pers.

A rare species in our area, reproducing by root suckers. The root is believed to be a specific for snake-bites. The bark and the dried powered leaves are used in native medicine. The wood is used for making furniture and picture frames.

A large tree; branchlets reddish; bark red inside, exuding a watery sap when cut. Leaves opposite or sub-opposite, 3-16 x 1.5-7.5 cm, elliptic, ovate-oblong or obovate, glabrous, dark green, shining above, glaucous beneath; petiole 0.5-1 cm long, channelled. Cymes axillary, dichotomous, 7.5-12 cm long; peduncle 2.5-6.5 cm long, often red. Flower 5 mm in diameter, whitish; calyx 4-5-lobed, lobes rounded, margin membranous; stamens included, filaments recurved, anthers with a 2-lobed connective. Ovary adnate to the disc; style very short, persistent. Fruit a dry, ovoid, drupe, 1-15 cm long, 1-celled, 1-seeded.

Tropical Himalaya, India, Ceylon, Indo-China, Malaysia.

Distribution: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia in forests in the foot-hill zone.

200-800 m

Fl.Per.: April-June.

Cassine glauca, known as නෙරලු (neralu) in Sinhala, is a species of large tree in the staff vine family, Celastraceae, its natural range extends through the Indo-Malayan region in subtropical mixed deciduous and evergreen forests.