Desmos lawii (Hooker.f. & Thomson) Safford

 
  • Family : ANNONACEAE
    (Custard-Apple Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : SITAPHAL FAMILY (सीताफल फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System III) : Annonaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Desmos chinensis var. jarawae Chakrab. & Diwakar
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Desmos chinensis Lour.
  • Vernacular name :
    • Aitaala (Kannada)
  • Habit : Shrub
  • Habitat : Tropical evergreen forests, Tropical semi-evergreen forests
  • Comments / notes : Tropical evergreen forests, Tropical semi-evergreen forests.
  • Key identification features : Shrub, 2-5 m high; Leaves oblong-lanceolate; Flowers solitary, extra axillary, 6-10 cm long, pale yellow; Carpels jointed
  • Flower, Fruit : October-January
  • Collection Nos : KFP 5236, KFP 7609, CJS 16815, CJS 16941
  • Distribution :
    • Karnataka : Dakshina Kannada district, Hassan district, Kodagu (Coorg) district, Mysuru district, Shivamogga district, Uttara Kannada district
    • Kerala : Kannur district, Wayanad district, Kozhikode district, Palakkad district, Thrissur district, Idukki district, Kollam district, Thiruvananthapuram district
    • Odisha : Khordha district, Bargarh district, Balangir district, Ganjam district
    • Tamil Nadu : Coimbatore district, Tirunelveli district
    • Arunachal Pradesh : Siang district
    • Uttar Pradesh : Uttar Pradesh
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands : Andaman Islands
    • Tripura : Tripura
  • Native : Bangladesh, Bhutan, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • World Distribution : Bangladesh, Bhutan, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam
  • Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
  • Literature :
    • Saldanha & Nicolson, 1976 - Flora of Hassan district, Karnataka
    • Cecil J. Saldanha, S. R. Ramesh (1984). Flora of Karnatka State vol. 1. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co, New Delhi
    • Balakrishna Gowda & A.N. Sringesh 2004 – Sringeri (checklist unpublished)
    • Keshava Murthy & Yoganarasimhan, 1990 – Flora of Coorg district
    • Henry, Kumari & Chithra (1983). Flora of Tamil Nadu, India vol. 1
    • Sasidharan, N. 2011. Flowering plants of Kerala. DVD, V 2, KFRI.
    • H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : http://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Desmos lawii
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Flora Online. http://indiaflora-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Desmos lawii. Downloaded on 22 February 2026.

Botanical Description

Herbarium Specimen(s)

Field Image(s)

Habitat

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

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