Aisar / Velvet Beauty Berry
Callicarpa tomentosa
Also known as Great Woolly Malayan Lilac
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Callicarpa tomentosa
- Genus
- Callicarpa
- Family
- Verbenaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India to Southeast Asia
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malesia, North Hong kong
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Verbenaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Verbenaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Tamil
- காட்டுக்குமிழ் kattu-k-kumil
- Telugu
- బోడిగచెట్టు bodiga chettu
- Kannada
- ಆರತಿ ಗಿಡ aarati gida, ದೊಡ್ಡ ನಾತದ ಗಿಡ dodda nathada gida, ಇಬನ್ನೆ ಗಿಡ ibanne gida
- Malayalam
- നായ്ക്കുമ്പിൾ nay-kkumpi, നായ് ക്കുമ്പിൾ, Callicarpa tomentosa
- Marathi
- ऐसर aisar, हेसूर hesur
About Aisar
Velvet Beauty Berry (Callicarpa tomentosa) is a shrub belonging to the Verbenaceae family (Verbena/Teak family). Members of this family are generally characterised by opposite/whorled simple/compound leaves, spike/raceme/cymose flower clusters, drupe fruit. It is typically found in semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains. Native to India to Southeast Asia, it is distributed across India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malesia, North Hong kong. It flowers and fruits through much of the year. The species is valued in traditional medicine.
Verbenaceae
Verbena/Teak family
Aisar belongs to the Verbenaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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