Chalta / Elephant Apple
Dillenia indica
Also known as Chulta, Dellenia, Hondapara Tree, Ma-Tad (Mal.)
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Assam, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- May-February
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Dillenia indica
- Genus
- Dillenia
- Family
- Dilleniaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indo-China, Sumatra, Malay peninsula, Java, Borneo
- Found in India
- Assam, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala
- Flowering & fruiting
- May-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- चलता Chalta, Karambel, chalta
- Nepali
- पाँच फल Panch Phal, रामफल Raamphaal, चल्ता Chaltaa
- Bengali
- চালতা, চালিতা, চাইলতে
- Tamil
- உவா மரம், ஓமை, யானை ஆப்பிள்
- Telugu
- రేవడిచెట్టు, పెద్దకళింగ
- Kannada
- ಕಲ್ತೇಗ Kaltega, ಮುಚ್ಚಿಲು Mucchilu, ಗನಗಲು Ganagalu
- Malayalam
- മലമ്പുന്ന, Dillenia indica
Chalta in India
This tree, known as चलता Chalta (Hindi), உவா மரம் (Tamil), రేవడిచెట్టు (Telugu), ಕಲ್ತೇಗ Kaltega (Kannada), മലമ്പുന്ന (Malayalam), চালতা (Bengali), is grown for its large, sour fruit. Dillenia indica is found across Assam, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, typically near streams and in moist forest.
Uses
Its large, sour fruit is cooked into chutneys, pickles and curries, valued for its tart flavour rather than eaten raw.
How to Identify Chalta
A tree with large, prominently veined, saw-toothed leaves. Flowers are large and showy, with five white petals surrounding a dense cluster of yellow stamens, followed by a large, round, hard-fleshed fruit formed from the thickened, fused sepals.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Elephant Apple called in different Indian languages?
- चलता Chalta (Hindi); உவா மரம் (Tamil); రేవడిచెట్టు (Telugu); ಕಲ್ತೇಗ Kaltega (Kannada); മലമ്പുന്ന (Malayalam); চালতা (Bengali).
- Is elephant apple eaten raw?
- Rarely — its flesh is quite sour and firm, so it's almost always cooked into chutneys, pickles or curries rather than eaten fresh.
- Why is the flower so large?
- Its five broad white petals and dense cluster of stamens make it one of the larger, showier flowers among Indian native trees, a useful identification feature.
Dilleniaceae
Dillenia Family
Chalta belongs to the Dilleniaceae 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 Dilleniaceae
View all Dilleniaceae →Sources: GBIF — Dillenia indica (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Dillenia indica (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)