Where a visitor sees jungle, a Malayali sees timber, fruit, medicine, shade, firewood and money. This class names Kerala's trees and what each is used for. It starts with the timber trees: teak and its long plantation history, rosewood, and anjili, the light, water-resistant wood that built houses and boats. Then the fruit trees of the home compound, including the gooseberry prized for vitamin C, and the useful trees: neem, the drumstick tree whose leaves are among the most nutritious greens, and curry leaf. It closes with the small uncut groves that still hold patches of original forest, and the questions to ask about any tree. Words and phrases in this class: തേക്ക് (thekku) – teak ഈട്ടി (eetti) – rosewood ആഞ്ഞിലി (aanjili) – anjili, wild jackfruit പ്ലാവ് (plaavu) – jackfruit tree മുള (mula) – bamboo തെങ്ങ് (thengu) – coconut palm മാവ് (maavu) – mango tree നെല്ലിക്ക (nellikka) – Indian gooseberry (the fruit) പുളി (puli) – tamarind ആര്യവേപ്പ് (aaryaveppu) – neem tree മുരിങ്ങ (muringa) – drumstick tree കറിവേപ്പ് (kariveppu) – curry leaf tree ഇത് എന്ത് മരമാണ്? (ithu enthu maramaanu?) – what tree is this? In this class: • Timber trees, from teak to the anjili that built houses and boats • The fruit trees of the compound, and the gooseberry • Useful and medicinal trees: neem, drumstick and curry leaf • Uncut groves as forest refuges, and how to ask about any tree Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.