Odollum Tree
Cerbera odollam
Also known as Dog-bane, Chiute, Grey Milkwood, Sea Mango
About Odollum Tree
Cerbera odollam is a tree species in the family Apocynaceae commonly known as the suicide tree or pong-pong. It bears a fruit known as othalanga whose seeds yield a potent poison called cerberin. It has historically been used in trials by ordeal, especially in Madagascar, where it has caused thousands of deaths annually, and continues to be used for suicide, particularly in Kerala, India. It can cause fatal heart arrhythmias with just one kernel and is responsible for numerous poisonings due to its easily masked taste and limited testing. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, and Queensland, Australia, growing preferentially along sandy coasts, riverbanks, and by mangrove swamps.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cerbera odollam
- Genus
- Cerbera
- Family
- APOCYNACEAE
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Water courses
- Native to
- India, Southeast Asia
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Malesia
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Bengali
- ডাবুর dabur, ডাবুর
- Tamil
- காட்டலரி kattalari, உதளை utalai, காட்டரளி
- Telugu
- అడవి అరళి adavi arali
- Kannada
- ಚಂಡೆ Chande, ಹೊಂಡೆ Honde, ಮೊಂಡೆ ಮರ Monde mara
- Malayalam
- ഉതളം othallam, ഒതളം, സെർബെറാ ഒഡോളം
- Marathi
- सुकाणु sukanu
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Odollum Tree belongs to the Apocynaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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