Amli / Malabar Mountain Ebony
Bauhinia malabarica
Also known as Malabar Bauhinia, Mountain Ebony
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- August-December
How to identify Amli
Identify Amli 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.
- Confirm leaf type: Bilobed (two leaflets, often butterfly-shaped).
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Caesalpiniaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Amli.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Bauhinia malabarica
- Genus
- Bauhinia
- Family
- Caesalpiniaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Valleys of forests, Deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Myanmar, Malay Islands, Java
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Bilobed (two leaflets, often butterfly-shaped)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Amli itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Amli itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Assamese
- Kotra
- Bengali
- Karmai
- Garo
- Bakbakhol, Beolphiu, Migong thak
- Hindi
- अम्ली amli, अम्लोसा Amlosa
- Kannada
- ಬಸವನಪಾದ basavanapaada, ಮಂದಾರ Mandara, Kudugulu, Cheppura, ಆಚಲು Aachalu
- Konkani
- कोरट Korat
- Malayalam
- ആരമ്പുളി Aarampuli
- Marathi
- अम्ली amli, कोरळ Koral
- Nepali
- अमिल टाँकी Amil Taankee
- Odia
- Gumbati
- Sanskrit
- अम्लपत्रः Amlapatrah, अश्मन्तक Ashmantaka, अश्मयुक्त Ashmayukta, यमलपत्रः Yamalapatrah
- Tamil
- மலையாத்தி malai-y-atti, புளியாத்தி puli-y-atti, Vellathi, Mantharai
- Telugu
- Pedda-ari, Pul-ari,పులి చింత Puli chinta, Pul-dondra
About Amli
Malabar Mountain Ebony (Bauhinia malabarica) belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and 3 other states. It grows in valleys of forests, Deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from August to December.
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Amli belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Caesalpiniaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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