Statue of Unity – Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat Rain Forest Ektanagar

Pterospermum acerifolium

Syn. Pterospermum macrocarpum

IUCN Red List Least Concern (LC)

Local name

  • Maple-leaved bayur tree (English)
  • Muchkund (Hindi)

Tree type

Evergreen Deciduous
Family: Malvaceae
20m

Indicated uses

Medicinal Edible Ornamental Avenue Other

Flowering & fruiting

Flowering Fruiting

Key characters

Pterospermum acerifolium bark

Bark

Greyish, rough and corky.

Pterospermum acerifolium leaves

Leaves

Leaves are simple, alternate, have stipules and are palmately ribbed.

Pterospermum acerifolium flower

Flower

It has large fragrant nocturnal white flowers, occuring in axillary fascicles.

Pterospermum acerifolium fruit / seeds

Fruit / Seeds

Fruit is a capsule, angled and furfuraceaous.

Pterospermum acerifolium

Did you know?

The specific epithet acerifolium means “leaves like a maple” in Latin. However, the lesser-known botanical reality is that this tree exhibits intense heterophylly— meaning its leaves completely change their shape based on age and environmental factors.

Distribution

World map showing distribution

Nepal to China (S. Yunnan) and Peninsula Malaysia, Leeward Is., Pakistan