Indian-laurel

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian-laurel
• Indian Laurel

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Terminalia tomentosa var. coriacea
• Terminalia glabra var. tomentosa
• Pentaptera cuneata
• Terminalia coriacea
• Pentaptera coriacea
• Pentaptera maradu
• Pentaptera macrocarpa
• Terminalia crenulata
• Terminalia ovata
• Terminalia macrocarpa
• Pentaptera crenulata
• Terminalia tomentosa var. crenulata
• Terminalia ovata var. angustifolia
• Terminalia crenulata var. macrocarpa
• Terminalia arjuna var. angustifolia
• Terminalia tomentosa var. nepalensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Myrtales, it is a member of the family Combretaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Terminalia, specifically the species Terminalia elliptica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across several key regions within the Indian Subcontinent. It can be found growing natively throughout various parts of India. Its presence also extends into the neighboring country of Bangladesh. Furthermore, the species is commonly documented in Nepal and the mountainous areas of the East Himalaya. Additionally, the plant is known to thrive in the specific environmental conditions of Assam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Terminalia ellipta is characterized by its nature as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its ecosystem. As a phanerophyte, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated woody structures, a trait consistent with its classification in both the phanerophyte and phanerophyte life form categories. Its seasonal rhythm is defined by its deciduousness, meaning it undergoes a period of leaf shedding, typically in response to seasonal changes or dry periods, before regenerating new foliage.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Terminalia elliptica is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree, capable of reaching a substantial plant height with a mean of approximately 20 m. As a self-supporting organism, it does not function as a climber or a vine, nor does it exhibit liana-like behavior. The plant is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, functioning as an independent species rather than acting as a parasite or an epiphyte. Its structural development is defined by a robust, woody constitution typical of large arborescent species.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

20 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Terminalia ellipta is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, which facilitates carbon fixation through the Calvin cycle without the specialized anatomical adaptations found in C4 or CAM plants. This metabolic framework dictates its gas exchange patterns and water-use efficiency, making it typical of many tropical deciduous species. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, and instead relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil to meet its nutritional requirements.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Terminalia elliptica is characterized by specific seed morphological traits and diverse dispersal mechanisms. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a relatively consistent mass, with a recorded mean seed mass of 1.751 g. The range of seed weight varies from a minimum of 1.502 g to a maximum of 2 g. In terms of movement and distribution, the plant employs a multifaceted dispersal syndrome that includes anemochory (wind dispersal), zoochory (animal dispersal), autochory (self-dispersal), and hydrochory (water dispersal), alongside unspecialized dispersal methods, ensuring its ability to colonize various environments through multiple ecological vectors.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Seed mass max:

2 g

Seed mass mean:

1.751 g

Seed mass min:

1.502 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Terminalia elliptica has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Gossypetin 3-glucuronide-8-glucoside, RUTIN, Robinin.

Gossypetin 3-glucuronide-8-glucoside

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

RUTIN

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Robinin

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association