Othallam / Odollum Tree
Cerbera odollam
Also known as Dog-Bane, Chiute, Grey Milkwood, Sea Mango
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- July-November
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cerbera odollam
- Genus
- Cerbera
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Water courses
- Habitat type
- Wetland
- Native to
- India, Southeast Asia
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Malesia
- Found in India
- Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
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
- 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
- Sinhala
- ගොන් කදුරු
Othallam in India
This coastal tree, known as காட்டலரி kattalari (Tamil), అడవి అరళి adavi arali (Telugu), ಚಂಡೆ Chande (Kannada), ഉതളം othallam (Malayalam), सुकाणु sukanu (Marathi), ডাবুর dabur (Bengali), is best known for its highly toxic seeds. Cerbera odollam is found across Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, typically along tidal creeks and coastal wetlands.
Uses
It has little culinary or common household use — its wood is occasionally used locally, but the tree is far better known, and should be treated with caution, for the severe toxicity of its seeds.
How to Identify Othallam
A tree with milky sap and glossy, narrow, whorled leaves. Fragrant white flowers with a yellow-pink centre are followed by a smooth, egg-shaped green fruit that resembles a small mango — the fruit and especially its seed kernel are highly toxic and should never be eaten.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Odollum Tree called in different Indian languages?
- காட்டலரி kattalari (Tamil); అడవి అరళి adavi arali (Telugu); ಚಂಡೆ Chande (Kannada); ഉതളം othallam (Malayalam); सुकाणु sukanu (Marathi); ডাবুর dabur (Bengali).
- Why is it called the 'suicide tree'?
- Its seed kernel contains a potent cardiac toxin and has a well-documented history of misuse for self-harm and poisoning in parts of South and Southeast Asia — a serious reason to never eat any part of this plant.
- Does the fruit look edible?
- Yes, concerningly so — it resembles a small green mango, which is part of why accidental poisonings have occurred; it should never be eaten under any circumstance.
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Othallam 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 — Cerbera odollam (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Cerbera odollam (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)