In the beginning of 2017, I was accompanying my friend and Ph.D. batch mate Vimhaseno Neikha to her field site Makutta located in Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary of Kodagu district for her study on vegetation across different elevations. In the field, my routine was to assist Vimha in laying her plots and enter tree measurement data in her field notebook. Vimha would call out the tree name followed by measurements while I religiously noted down. For the species that she was unable to identify, forest personnel Mr. Ashik and Mr. Manohar were there for our rescue. During one such activity, in one of the plots at 100m elevation, I asked for the name of a tree that was about to be measured. Ashik told it was Aame mara! I was surprised by the name and instantly guessed that this tree must have some connection with the tortoise because in kannada language aame means tortoise. Immediately, Manohar told us that flowers and fruits are borne on the tree trunk and are fed by tortoises. Now I understood the connection between aame and aame mara, the tortoise tree!
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A full bloom Baccaurea courtallensis
PC: Anurag N Sharma
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We also found a tortoise shell indicating the presence of the animal here
PC: Vimhaseno Neikha
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Aame mara, scientifically called Baccaurea courtallensis usually flowers after the rains. We were in the field site after the summer showers and I wondered if we could find any tree in flowering. Fortunately, we happened to spot a tree in flowering in our very next plot!!
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| Baccaurea courtallensis trunk covered with tubercles PC: Deepthi Narasimhaiah |
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Flowers of Baccaurea courtallensis
PC: Vimhaseno Neikha |
Baccaurea courtallensis belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. It is an evergreen tree, grows upto 15 m tall and is found in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of India and Sri Lanka. Leaves are simple and alternate. The most striking feature of the tree is bearing flowers on its main trunk called cauliflory inflorescence. The trunk usually has swelling or knobs called tubercles. Crimson colored flowers appear in bunches on these tubercles. Fruits are red in color and hang all over the trunk making it easier for the ground dwelling tortoises to feed upon them. Ripe fruits can be eaten raw and are sour in taste. It also has medicinal properties.
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| A close up of flowers PC: Deepthi Narasimhaiah |
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| Inflorescence arising on the trunk called cauliflory PC: Deepthi Narasimhaiah |
During our subsequent visit in April 2017 we found aame mara in fruiting. Though flowering and fruiting of aame mara is an annual cycle, we were excited to see it in both the stages because of its typical inflorescence 'cauliflory'.
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Fruits of Baccaurea courtallensis
PC: Navendu |
I thank Vimhaseno Neikha for giving me an opportunity to accompany her and forest personnel Mr. Ashik and Mr. Manohar for giving insights on aame mara, the tortoise tree!
