Bama / Sacred Barna
Crateva nurvala
Also known as Galric Pear
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
- Flowering
- February-June
How to identify Bama
Identify Bama 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: Considered sacred, grown near temples and water bodies.
- Confirm leaf shape: Trifoliate (three leaflets).
- Confirm flower colour: White turning yellow/purple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-June.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
- Confirm it sits within the Capparaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bama.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Crateva nurvala
- Genus
- Crateva
- Family
- Capparaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Asia
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-June
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Trifoliate (three leaflets)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bama itself; the rest are typical of the Capparaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White turning yellow/purplerecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bama itself; the rest are typical of the Capparaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Assamese
- বৰুন Barun
- Bengali
- Tikoshak, বরুন Barun
- Gujarati
- Vaivama
- Hindi
- बरना Bama
- Kannada
- ನೆರ್ವಾಳ Nirvala
- Manipuri
- ꯂꯣꯢꯌꯨꯝꯕꯥ ꯂ Loiyumba lei
- Marathi
- Katarlingad
- Tamil
- Mavilingam, Narvala, Varanam
- Telugu
- Uskiaman, Voolemara, Vulimiri-chettu
- Urdu
- Barna ﺑﺮﻧﺎ
About Bama
Sacred Barna (Crateva nurvala) is a tree in the Capparaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Flowering and fruiting run from February to June.
Capparaceae
Caper Family
Bama belongs to the Capparaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Capparaceae 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.
All plant problem & care guides