Horsfieldia kingii

Horsfieldia kingii is a dioecious tree of the family Myristicaceae. It grows up to 20 m tall[4] and has large seeds that are dispersed by frugivores such as hornbills and imperial pigeons.[5] The fruiting period is from February to May.[6] The fruit is an arillate capsule and is bi-coloured.[5]

Horsfieldia kingii
Horsfieldia kingii fruits
Horsfieldia kingii leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Myristicaceae
Genus:	Horsfieldia
Species:	H. kingii
Binomial name
Horsfieldia kingii (Hook. f.) Warb.[1]
Synonyms
Myristica kingii[2] H. hainanensis[3] H. tetratepala[3]

The plant is referred to as ramtamul in Assamese language and is sometimes used as a substitute for betelnut. However, they could be mildly intoxicating to humans.[4] The leaves form a part of the diet of the endangered capped langur.[7]

References

1. Horsfieldia kingii at the International Plant Names Index accessible online
2. Hooker, JD (1886) Flora of British India 5:106
3. "The Plant List".
4. Chaudhuri, AB (1993) Forest Plants of Eastern India APH Publishing p. 434
5. Aparajita Datta & Rawat, GS (2008) Dispersal modes and spatial patterns of tree species in a tropical forest in Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India, Mongabay.com Open Access Journal - Tropical Conservation Science Vol. 1(3):163-185 PDF
6. Nandini Velho (2008) The effect of terrestrial rodents on seed fate of hornbill-dispersed plants in Pakke Tiger Reserve, Unpublished MSc Thesis Manipal University. pp. 81 PDF Archived 2011-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
7. Kumar, A & Solanki, GS (2008) Population Status and Conservation of Capped Langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus) in and around Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Primate Conservation (23): 97–105 PDF Archived 2009-02-05 at the Wayback Machine