PRAKRITI, 12th April 2021, Vol. III, Issue 10 Weekly magazine P R A K R I T I Quest For Nature Flora of the week Fauna of the week Bird of the week Pterospermum acerifolium Moduza procris Urocissa erythroryncha or or or Kanak champa Commander Butterflies Red-billed blue magpie Officers’ Club Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun P R A K R I T I, 12th April 2 0 2 1, V O L. III, I S S U E 10 FLORA OF THE WEEK Pterospermum acerifolium Kanak Champa Maple- leaved bayur is an evergreen tree with an irregular crown with thick, steeply ascending branches; it can grow up to 30 metres tall. The bole is often crooked . The tree is gathered from the wild for a range of local uses - medicinal, timber, plate substitutes etc. It is planted as a roadside tree or garden ornamental, being valued especially for its beautiful, fragrant blooms; large leaves; and the shade it provides . Distribution: Forested slopes at elevations Kingdom: Plantae of 1,200 - 1,700 metres in southern China. Clade: Tracheophytes Swamp forests in India. Along riverbanks Clade: Angiosperms and in damp valleys in humid lowland Clade: Eudicots forests and swamps. Clade: Rosids Order: Malvales E. Asia - southern China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Family: Malvaceae Thailand, Malaysia, Laos. Genus: Pterospermum Species: acerifolium Pterospermum is a genus of tropical trees and shrubs belonging to the family Sterculiaceae. Some species are grown ornamentally while others are valued for their timber. It has large fragrant nocturnal white flowers, occurring in axillary fascicles. Fruit is a capsule, angled. This plant is seen only in cultivation. It yields a reddish wood used for planking; often grown as an ornamental or shade tree. Uses: The indumentum from the lower side of leaf is said to be used to prevent bleeding from wounds. A good tonic is prepared from the flowers which is also a cure for inflammation, ulcers, tumors, blood troubles and leprosy. The bark and leaves are used in small pox. The flowers, kept among clothes, impart a pleasant perfume and keep away insects. The down obtained from the leaves is used as a tinder. The large leaves have been used as plates and for wrapping up items such as tobacco leaves. The heartwood is red; the sapwood white. The wood is soft to moderately hard. It is sometimes used for planking and interior construction. Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun- 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President, Officers’ Club Dilip Kumar Tiwari | SFS 2019 – 21| P1 Ph: 0135-2754575/ Fax: 0135-2756168; E-mail: [email protected] Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club V V V a a a PRAKRITI, 12th April 2021, Vol. 3, Issue 10 FAUNA OF THE WEEK Moduza procris Commander Butterflies The commander has a wingspan of about 6 to 7.5 cm (2.4 to 3.0 in). The upper side of its wings are a bright reddish brown. Towards the centre of the wing are broad white spots. In flight, one can see a bright red brown butterfly with a white band forming a V shape. There are also a few white spots scattered on the wings. Its hindwings have crenulated margins. The undersides of the wings are a whitish grey toward the base and have a row of dull reddish brown and a row of black spots along the margins. The male and female are similar in appearance. Commander is one of the most beautiful butterflies in India. You may spot Classification this vividly coloured butterfly right from Southern Western Ghats to North Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Eastern regions. The brilliant reddish brown on its upper side will attract Class: Insecta your attention easily. Order: Lepidoptera Family: Nymphalidae Usually seen along forest roads, water courses, open places and even close to Genus: Moduza villages, especially if its larval host plant Mussaenda is available around. If Species: procris you are planning to take a close look at a Commander, its usual posture of wings pressed flat helps you get a good look. However, if you go close, it will take short flights and keep the distance. Sri Lanka, Peninsular India, the Himalayas east of the Dun valley, through Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim to Assam, Arunachal, and onto Myanmar. Locally abundant, it is common from Sri Lanka to Maharashtra. It is rare in Gujarat and far more common in the Himalayas. The commander is generally found in forested regions having moderate to heavy rainfall. It usually keeps to low elevations, that is, up to 900 metres (3,000 ft) into the hills. It is fond of open glades, roadsides and clearings in forests. It is abundant along watercourses in dry and moist deciduous forests. It is also found close to villages or wherever its larval host plant Mussaenda frondosa is found. It is most common in the post-monsoon months and winter. The commander can often be spotted basking with its wings pressed flat on exposed stones in streambeds. Individuals settle down on an exposed perch high up in the trees during the heat of the day. At this time, it can be seen defending its territory and driving intruding butterflies away. Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun, 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President Officers’ Club This Ph:butterfly 0135-2754575/Fax: has a 0135swift-2756168 flight with rapidShri wingbeatsPradeep Wahule, and IFS, Vicealternate President, spurtsOfficers’ Clubof smooth gliding.Harikesh NarayanA powerful Yadav |SFS flier, 2019- 21it P1 P R A K R I T I, 12th April 2 0 2 1, V O L. III, I S S U E 10 BIRD OF THE WEEK Urocissa erythroryncha Red-billed blue magpie The red -billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha) is a species of bird in the crow family, Corvidae. It is about the same size as the Eurasian magpie but has a much longer tail, one of the longest tails of any corvid. It is 65 – 68 cm round=0.5 long and weighs 196 - 232 g. Raucous, vividly-colored magpie of lowland and foothill forests, gardens, and parks. Bright blue with black head, white belly, and long tail which trails loosely behind it in flight. Bright scarlet bill and extensive white crow serve to distinguish this species from the otherwise similar Yellow-billed Blue- Magpie. Travels in groups, communicating with constant, raucous, hoarse calls. Aggressive, often driving away other birds. Food is sought both in trees and on the ground. It takes the usual wide range Kingdom: Animalia of food, such as invertebrates, other small animals, and fruit and some seeds. Phylum: Chordata It robs nests of eggs and also chicks. Vocal mimicry is very apparent in this Class: Aves species and its calls are very varied, but the most usual are a grating rattle Order: Passeriformes and a high -pitched whistle a little like a flute. Family: Corvidae Habits and habitat: The red-billed blue magpie occurs in a broad swathe Genus: Urocissa from the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, and further eastwards. It Species: erythroryncha ranges from the Western Himalayas eastwards into Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and through central and eastern China to southwest Did You Know? Manchuria, in evergreen forest and scrub in predominantly hilly or Members of the jay and crow family are mountainous country. It has adapted to urban habitat and can be seen in large considered to be among the most cities in China such as Beijing and Hong Kong. They nest in trees and large intelligent of all birds. shrubs in a relatively shallow nest. There are usually three to five eggs laid. Red-billed blue magpies make their home in mountain forests. They are often seen in small groups searching the treetops for insects, eggs, fruits and nectar. The magpies will also rob nests of eggs (and even chicks). At times they also hunt on the ground for small mammals, snakes, lizards, centipedes, and snails. Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun- 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President, Officers’ Club Jitendra Kumar | SFS2019 – 21| Ph: 0135-2754575/ Fax: 0135-2756168; E-mail: [email protected] Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club P3 V V V a a a n.