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Canopy of bright yellow atop a light yellow bark
The Mal kera, a small tree or shrub grows upto a height of 4m. The leaves are acute and finely serrated. The underside of the leaves are paler than the top. The tree is branched a lot and provides a soft, pale yellow wood. During the flowering season between June and August the Mal kera tree is covered in bright yellow flowers which are fairly small. These flowers are fragrant and make the tree ideal for planting in a garden.

The fruits of this tree too are attractive. They are purplish black and surrounded by sepals and have a crimson calyx. In fact at first glance they look more like flowers than fruits! The fruiting season is in December.
The wood of the Mal kera is light and used for light construction. It is also used for making walking sticks. The whole plant has medicinal value. The bark is used to make a digestive tonic. It is also used for making poultices for fractures.

The Mal kera is also known as the Bo kera in different parts of the island. The Tamil name is Chilanti or Katkarai. The scientific name is Ochna obstusata. It is also referred to as the Ochna squarrosa. The Mal kera is native to Sri Lanka and is also found in India and Burma. It grows in dry low and intermediate forests. Now it is fairly rare in the dry zone forests. A good place to spot it is the IFS-Popham Arboretum, Dambulla where it now shows to best advantage, covered with crimson fruits.

Compiled by Ruk Rakaganno

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