Indian tulip tree (Thespesia populnea)
Description
Thespesia populnea, commonly known as the Indian tulip tree, bhendi (Marathi),'''''Poovarasu''''(Tamil), Pacific rosewood, or Portia tree /?p??r??/, is species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a small tree or arborescent shrub that has a pantropical distribution, found on coasts around the world. However, the Portia tree is probably native only to the Old World, and may have originated in India. Nowadays, its wood is mainly used in making furniture because of its good ability to undergo carving. The wood from the tree was used by early Tamil people to make instruments in ancient Tamilakam. It is possibly indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere in the Pacific, but may have been spread by early Polynesians for its useful wood and bast fibres.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malvales
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Family: Malvaceae
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Genus: Thespesia
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