Herbarium JCB

Holarrhena pubescens (Buch.-Ham.) Wall. ex G. Don

Family : APOCYNACEAE
(DOGBANE FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Apocynaceae
Species : Holarrhena pubescens
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Holarrhena pubescens Wall. ex G.Don
Common name : Kurchi, Tellicherry bark, Bitter Oleander, Easter Tree, Jasmine Tree
Vernacular name : Kurci, Kudha, Khurchi (Hin.); Kodagasana (Kan.); Kuthuppaalai (Tam.); Kolamukki, Palavareni, Pala chettu, Tedlapala, Palankudu, Kodaga, Palakodishe, Istari-pala, Kodisipala (Tel.); Kherwa, Pitakorwa, Patrukurwa, Kurmi, Kuda, Indrojabafalo, Indrajalo, Kure, Kurchi (Ori.); Kutajah, Kalinga (San.)
Collection Nos : FAP 40414
Collector(s) Name : K.R.K.Swamy
Collection Date : 14/09/13
Collection Locality : Kalasamudram, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh State
Habitat : Scrub forest
Key identification features : A small deciduous tree with milky latex. Leaves are simple, ovate-elliptic, up to 25 cm long, pubescent or glabrous. Flowers in branched cymes; sepals bear small basal gland within, corolla is salver-shaped and the free lobes of the petals overlapping to the left. Fruit is a pair of divergent follicles, up to 40 cm long. Seeds are comose.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : April-July; May-October
Comments : Occasional on hills above 750 m, on slopes. Extracts from the bark are used to cure dysentery and also to help increase appetite. (IUCN, 2014)
Conservation Status : Least Concern (LC)
Distribution Locality : Bellary district, Kolar district (Karnataka State); Kolli Hills (Namakkal district), Shevaroy Hills (Salem district), Melagiri Hills (Dharmapuri district) (Tamil Nadu State); Srikakulam district, Visakhapatnam district, East Godavari district, West Godavari district, Prakasham district, Kurnool district, Kadapa district, Chittoor district (Andhra Pradesh State); Ganjam district, Similipal Hills (Mayurbhanj district) (Odisha State)
World Distribution : East Africa, South Africa, Tropical Himalaya, India, Indo-China, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1995- Flora of Orissa Vol. 2 ; R. S. Rao et al., 1986 - Flora of West Godavari District; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. ; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; J.L.Ellis, 1990- Flora of Nallamalais Vol. 2 ; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa
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=Holarrhena pubescens. Downloaded on 6 July 2025.