Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus) feeding on Kamala/ Sindoor/ Roli/ Runi/ Rohini/ BANATO (Mallotus philippensis)

[J.M. Garg]

On 16/3/08 at Jayanti, Duars, West Bengal.

Here is an earlier indiantreepix link: http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/07b20d52bac6586d

For details see http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/b/banato.pdf

Mallotus is a genus of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. 2 species are found in tropical Africa and Madagascar. About 140 species are found in East and Southeast Asia and from Indomalaysia to New Caledonia and Fiji, northern and eastern Australia. Notable members include the Kamala tree (Mallotus philippensis), the hairs of whose seed capsule is the source of a yellow dye (kamala dye) and (formerly) herbal remedy.

Mallotus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus.

The above inf. from Wikipedia link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallotus_(plant)
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With regards,
J.M.Garg
"We often ignore the beauty around us"
For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ join Google e-group (Indiantreepix) http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en
For my Birds, Butterflies, Trees, Lanscape pictures etc., visit  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/J.M.Garg