Saptaparni / Scholar Tree
Alstonia scholaris
Also known as Devil Tree, Shaitaanwood Tree, Blackboard Tree, Milkwood Pine, White Cheesewood, Dita Bark, Seven Leaved Tree
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- June-January
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Alstonia scholaris
- Genus
- Alstonia
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Australia, Asia
- Distribution
- Tropical Africa, Asia, Australasia
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-January
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- सप्तपर्णी Saptaparni, शैतान का झाड Shaitan ka jhar, चितवन Chitvan,चितवन chitavan
- Nepali
- छतिवन Chhatiwan, छलामैन Chhalaamain, पालिमारा Paalimaaraa
- Bengali
- ছাতিম Chattim, ছাতিম গাছ, ছাতিম
- Tamil
- ஏழிலை பிள்ளை Ezilai piLLai முகும்பலை mukumpalai, ஏழிலைப்பாலை
- Telugu
- Daevasurippi, ఏడాకుల చెట్టు, ఏడాకుల పాల
- Kannada
- ಏೞೆಲೆ ಹಾಲೆ Aelele Haale, ಬಂತಲೆ Bantale, Doddapala
- Malayalam
- Daivappala, ഏഴിലംപാല
- Marathi
- Satvin, सातवीण, सातविण
- Sanskrit
- saptaparna
Saptaparni in India
This tree, known as सप्तपर्णी Saptaparni (Hindi), ஏழிலை பிள்ளை Ezilai piLLai முகும்பலை mukumpalai (Tamil), Daevasurippi (Telugu), ಏೞೆಲೆ ಹಾಲೆ Aelele Haale (Kannada), Daivappala (Malayalam), Satvin (Marathi), is a common tall evergreen across Indian towns and forests. Alstonia scholaris is found across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, often planted as a shade and avenue tree.
Uses
Its light, straight-grained wood was historically used for packing cases, boards and, in some regions, writing slates or blackboards — the source of its species name scholaris; the tree is also planted widely for shade.
How to Identify Saptaparni
A tall, straight evergreen with leaves arranged in distinctive whorls of typically seven around the stem (giving 'saptaparni', seven-leaved, its common Sanskrit-derived name). Small, strongly fragrant white flowers cluster at the branch tips, usually opening in autumn, followed by long, slender, hanging seed pods in pairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Scholar Tree called in different Indian languages?
- सप्तपर्णी Saptaparni (Hindi); ஏழிலை பிள்ளை Ezilai piLLai முகும்பலை mukumpalai (Tamil); Daevasurippi (Telugu); ಏೞೆಲೆ ಹಾಲೆ Aelele Haale (Kannada); Daivappala (Malayalam); Satvin (Marathi); ছাতিম Chattim (Bengali); saptaparna (Sanskrit).
- Why is it called the 'devil tree'?
- The English name comes from its strong, heavy night-time fragrance during autumn flowering, which some found overpowering or eerie — not from any toxicity.
- Why 'saptaparni'?
- The Sanskrit-derived name means 'seven-leaved', describing how its leaves typically radiate in whorls of seven around each stem node, though the exact count can vary.
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Saptaparni belongs to the Apocynaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Apocynaceae
View all Apocynaceae →Sources: GBIF — Alstonia scholaris (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Alstonia scholaris (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)