Dodonaea viscosa

General Description:

Dodonaea viscosa is a cosmopolitan, variable, evergren shrub or a small tree, occurrring almost throughout India. This plant attains height of about 1-3mt, but rarely can reach upto 10mt. The leaves are simple elliptical, 6-13 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, and secrete a resinous substance. The flowers are yellow to orange-red, produced in short racemes. The fruit is a capsule 2 cm broad, red ripening brown, with three wings. It is found gregariously in western Himalayas as undergrowth in Pinus roxburghii Sarg forests and in dry miscellaneous forests ascending to 6,500 ft. It is also found in the drier regions of south India up to an altitude of about 8,000 ft. It regenerates profusely by seed and is useful species for reclothing denuded tracts.