Description: Trees without thorns or spines. The leaves are arranged oppositely, consisting of 1 to 3 leaflets. Branches are smooth or slightly covered in a short, woolly layer. Petiole up to 12 cm; leaflets 2 or 3 obovate-elliptic to elliptic, abruptly acuminate at apex, entire along the margin up to 18 x 7.5 cm panicle up to 20 cm. petals white 0.2 cm long, ovate. Seeds black.

Flowering & Fruiting: April – November.

Distribution: India: Common in moist deciduous to semi-evergreen forests in Western Ghats. Malaysia.

Common name
Tamil: Karinjikkada.

Description: These are compact, monoecious trees reaching a height of 8 meters; their young parts are covered in stellate-pubescent fuzz. The leaves are arranged alternately, elliptical in shape, and can grow up to 14 by 6.5 centimeters. acute at base, acute or shortly acuminate at apex, whitish beneath when dry; petioles up to 3.5 cm long. Flowers small, in axillary or terminal spicate racemes; female flowers few below, male flowers above. Calyx lobes 4 (-5) in male and (5-) 6 in female. Stamens 4 (-5). Ovary densely pubescent, 3-celled; styles connate at base, 3-fid above; stigmatic lobes 12, plumose. Capsules ovoid, 1.5 – 2 cm across, 3-lobed. Seeds 3.

Flowering & Fruiting: September- March.

Distribution: India: In evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Western Peninsular India. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Common name
Kannada: Kallu bale.

Description: Erect plants, 3-4 m tall, the pseudostem 1-2 m tall, with an swollen base of 2-3 m in circumference at the base, narrowed to ca 1 m below the leaves. Leaves alternate, oblong-lanceolate, ca 1.5 x 0.5 m, acute, acuminate or retuse at apex, bright green on both sides; petioles very short, deeply channeled; leaf scars persistent. Flowers in a terminal peduncled spike, globose at first ca 30 cm in diam., elongating or drooping later; bracts orbicular, ca 20 x 15 cm, dark brown-red, subtend dense biseriate rows each of 10-15 cm, upper clusters male, lower female. Perianth lobes 6 in two rows. Stamens usually 5. Ovary inferior, 3-locular; style filiform; stigma subglobose, 6-lobed. Fruit a trigonous berry, ca 7.5 x 4 cm subcoriaceous, pale yellow/cream color when ripe. Seeds many, subglobose, 0.8-1.5 cm in diam., dark brown. During the dry season, the plant withers, retreating to an underground core, and renews its foliage as the monsoon season commences.

Flowering & Fruiting : September – March.

Distribution: India: South W. India. Common on steep rocky slopes of the Western Ghats. Endemic.

Uses: The leaves are used for making platters, and for wrapping food. The flesh of the fruit is given in diabetes; seed used in the treatment of dysentery and kidney stone.

Common names
English: Deccan olive.
Kannada: Dande mara, Bhutali.
Tamil: Ruthracham.
Malayalam: Pilahi, Waggma.

Description: The trees can reach heights of 80-90 meters, sometimes displaying buttresses at the base, with a bark that showcases a mottled pattern of grey and white. Leaves crowded at ends of branchlets, obovate, 6-20 x 4-12.5 cm, narrowed, rounded or truncate at base, rounded to obtuse, sometimes retuse or acute at apex, obscurely crenate – dentate, subcoriaceous; midrib rufous hairy; petioles 1.5- 4 cm long, rufous hairy. Flowers in 3-12 cm long, axillary racemes, ca 2 cm across, white, fragrant. Sepals 5, linear-lanceolate or oblong. Petals 5, oblong-cuneate, laciniate, silky hairy without. Stamens 40-80; anthers oblong, puberulous with awns almost as long as anthers. Ovary, silky tomentose, 2 -locular. Fruit a drupe, ovoid, 2-4 cm long, smooth, yellow when ripe; pyrens terete, tubercled, 1-2 locular.

Flowering: December – February
Fruiting: May – October

Distribution: India: In evergreen forests between 1000 and 1500 m. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Andaman islands). Malaysia.

Uses: Wood brown, streaked with darker colour, used for planking, packing-cases and splints. It may be tried for plywood. Nuts used as substitute for ‘Rudraksha’ used as beads for rosaries, necklaces and bracelets. Decoction of bark stomachic, used in biliousness, haematemesis and indigestion; nut (pyrene) used in rheumatism, epilepsy and typhoid.

Common names
English: Ceylon olive.
Kannada: Beejada mara, Danda amba.
Tamil: Ularga karai.
Malayalam: Nalla Karra, Valiya Kara.

Description: Trees, 25-30 m tall, branchlets with persistent leaf scars. Leaves alternate, oblong, obovate or elliptic, 5-13 x 2.5 -6 cm, acute cuneate at base, acute, obtuse or shortly acuminate at apex, repand-serrate or crenate, coriaceous; petioles 2-6 cm long, with 2 leafy processes at apex. Flowers in 4-8 cm long, axillary, drooping racemes, creamy white, fragrant. Sepals 4-5, glandular. Petals 5, obovate, narrowed at base, laciniate, glabrous. Stamens 30 -35; anthers oblong, puberulous, bearded. Disc thick, glandular woolly. Ovary pilose, 2-3 loculed. The fruit is a drupe, typically oblong, obovoid, or ellipsoid in shape, measuring 2.5 to 3.5 cm in length, with a blunt tip, and having a greenish-yellow color. The seeds within are enclosed in oblong pyrenes, which are pointed at the tip and marked with small tubercles, usually containing 1 to 2 seeds.

Flowering: March – June
Fruiting: July – October

Distribution: India: Common in moist deciduous to semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats at ca 1500 m. Maharashtra, Karnataka Tamil Nadu and Kerala; Sikkim. Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Malaysia and Indonesia (Java).

Uses: The fruits which are subacrid are eaten and also pickled. Wood greyish white, soft and little used. It is suitable for linings, packing cases and matchboxes. Leaf antirheumatic, used as an antidote to poisoning; fruit used in dysentery and diarrhoea.

Common name
Kannada: Gunnamada patteballi.

Description: These are typically sizable, prickly climbing shrubs with young shoots covered in rough, rust-colored shiny scales, and their stems and branches are somewhat spiny. Leaves elliptic to obovate or elliptic-lanceolate, 4-10 x 2-5 cm, acute or rounded at base, rounded to acuminate at apex, chartaceous, green above, prominent silvery-white beneath; petioles 1-1.5 cm long. Flowers many in axillary clusters, silvery. Perianth tube cylindric to urceolate, lobes 4, stellately hairy inside. Stamens 4, inserted at the mouth of the perianth-tube; filaments slender, short. Ovary superior, unilocular; style erect, hairy; stigma simple. Fruit a drupe, ellipsoid, 2-3 cm long, 8 ribbed, with persistent calyx, pinkish or red with small whitish scabrous spots when ripe. Seed solitary, ca 1.8 cm long, erect, hard, shining.

Flowering & Fruiting: November – March.

Distribution: India: Throughout. Frequent in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats and W. Coast. Sri Lanka, Malaya Islands, China.

Uses: The fruits with a subacrid flavour are edible. It makes excellent tarts and jellies. The wood is used as fuel. Flowers cardiotonic; flower and fruit astringent.