Ficus benghalensis var krishnae

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

Botanical Name : Ficus benghalensis L. var. krishnae C. DC.
The specific epithet benghalensis comes from the fact that the plant is native of Bengal.
Common Name : Krishna Vad, Makhankatori, Krishna Fig, Krishna's Butter Cup
Common Name Details :
According to the Hindu legend Lord Krishna transformed the Banyan leaves into such cups in order to eat butter from them. Hence it is also commonly called "Makhan Katori".
Plant Family : Moraceae
Plant Form : Tree
Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

Habit : A small much branched tree with dull white bark and trunk with distant, horizontal wrinkles.
Leaves : Ovate-lanceolate, acute or bluntly acuminate at apex, cuneate and forming a puch at base, entire along margins, petioles 3-10 cm long.
Inflorescence: Hypanthodium, receptacles depressed globose, pubescent, in sessile pairs, androgynous, in axillary pairs, red when ripe, with 3 basal bracts.
Flowers : Male flowers near the mouth, staminate florets stipitate, perianth 2-3 lobed, stamen 1, filament 1 mm long, anthers dorsifixed, slits medium. Gall flowers sepals 4, style short.Pistillate flowers sessile, the perianth of 3 or 4 tepals, ovary straight, long, excentric.
Fruit : Syconus red, globose.
Flowering and Fruiting Time : October - April
Significance : Ornamental plant.