Agar / Aloewood

Aquilaria malaccensis

Tree

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Arunachal Pradesh
Flowering: April-September

How to identify Agar

Identify Agar by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a tree habit.
Check the distinctive field mark: Diseased/infected wood yields fragrant agarwood resin.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: April-September.
In India, compare location records such as Arunachal Pradesh.
Confirm it sits within the Thymelaeaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Agar.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Aquilaria malaccensis
Genus: Aquilaria
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Cultivated
Habitat type: Cultivated
Distribution: Southeast Asia
Found in India: Arunachal Pradesh
Flowering & fruiting: April-September
Conservation status: CR

Local Names

Hindi: अगर agar
Bengali: আগর উদ্ভিদ
Tamil: அகில், காழ்வை
Kannada: ಅಗಿಲ್, ಅಗಿಲು Agil, ಕಾರಗಿಲ್
Malayalam: അകിൽ (Aquilaria malaccensis)
Marathi: अगरू

About Agar

Aloewood (Aquilaria malaccensis) is a tree in the Thymelaeaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh. It is cultivated. Flowering and fruiting run from April to September.

Uses

In practice it is cut for timber and furniture, distilled for an aromatic oil and tapped for gum or resin. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.