Sapindaceae · Allophylus

Theepani / Tipan

Allophylus cobbe

TreeMedicinal
Habit
Tree
Found in India
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
Flowering
May-January

Plant Details

Scientific name
Allophylus cobbe
Genus
Allophylus
Habit
Tree
Habitat
Moist deciduous forests and semi-Evergreen forests, also in sacred groves
Habitat type
Forest
Distribution
India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia
Found in India
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Kerala, Manipur, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Nagaland, Tripura
Flowering & fruiting
May-January
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf type
Trifoliate (three leaflets)recorded
Leaf shape
ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.The leaflet blades are acuminate, obovate or elliptic, with pointed tips and cuneate bases, and the margins may be crenate towards the distal end. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Toothed leaf margin
Leaf margin
ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).The leaflet blades are acuminate, obovate or elliptic, with pointed tips and cuneate bases, and the margins may be crenate towards the distal end. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Arrangement
Alternate
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Theepani itself; the rest are typical of the Sapindaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Fruit type
DruperecordedA fleshy fruit with a single hard stone/pit enclosing the seed.The resulting fruit are a glabrous red drupe measuring from 4 to 16 mm (0.2 to 0.6 in) in diameter, containing a single large seed. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Panicle
Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Theepani itself; the rest are typical of the Sapindaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Bengali
Rakhalphul, রাখালচিতা
Tamil
sirusalle, perrakudikai
Telugu
Erra avalu, Guvva gutti, Salli kunkudu
Kannada
ಎರ್ವಾಲ Ervaala, ಕಸಬಳ್ಳಿ Kasaballi, ಸಿಡಿಸಾಲೆ Sidisaale
Malayalam
molago-maram, mukkannanpezhu
Marathi
Theepani, thivana

About Theepani

Tipan (Allophylus cobbe) belongs to the Sapindaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 11 other states. It grows in moist deciduous forests and semi-Evergreen forests, also in sacred groves. Flowering and fruiting run from May to January.

Uses

Locally it is long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

Illustration representing the Sapindaceae family
Botanical family

Sapindaceae

Soapberry/Lychee family

Theepani belongs to the Sapindaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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