Herbarium JCB

Tamarindus indica L.

Family : FABACEAE
(PEA OR BEAN FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Leguminosae
Subfamily : Caesalpinioideae
Species : Tamarindus indica
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Tamarindus indica L.
Common name : Tamarind Tree
Vernacular name : Imli, Titar, Amli (Hin.); Hunase mara (Kan.); Puliya maram, Puli (Tam.); Chinta (Tel.); Kaiyan, Tentuli, Tetul (Ori.); Amlika, Tintrini (San.)
Key identification features : A medium to large size, long-lived semi-evergreen tree with dense characteristic canopy. Bark is dark grey and is closely fissured. Leaves are pinnately compound with small leaflets. Flowers are small (up to 2 cm.) many, on a long inflorescence, pale-green and pink in colour with 3 unequal-sized petals. Fruit is a bean-like pod, fleshy, green at first, ripening to cinnamon-brown.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : April-December
Native : Tropical Africa
Comments : Occasional in plains to 1200 m on hills. Now naturalized in the Ghats. Common avenue tree and also planted for the fruits used in condiments and essential cooking.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : Tropics of the World
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2001 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 2; J.L.Ellis, 1987- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 1; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Tamarindus indica. Downloaded on 29 June 2024.