Karai / Wild Olive Tree ಅಥಕುಂಗೆ

Kannada name · See all regional names ↓

Also known as Ceylon Olive

Native in Indian regions · Kew WCVPTreeoutdoorMedicinal

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala & more
Flowering: June-March

Identify this plant with SASYA

One plant. Many familiar names.

Karai in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Karai
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Tamil	Not recorded	Karai, Karamaram, Olan karai
Telugu	Not recorded	Athakunge, Beegada mara, Beejada mara
Kannada	ಅಥಕುಂಗೆ · ಕ್ಯಾಸತ್ತೆ	Athakunge, Kyaasatte
Malayalam	Not recorded	Avi, Avil, Karamavu, Kara

See the original recorded names

Tamil: Karai, Karamaram, Olan karai
Telugu: Athakunge, Beegada mara, Beejada mara
Kannada: ಅಥಕುಂಗೆ Athakunge, ಕ್ಯಾಸತ್ತೆ Kyaasatte
Malayalam: Avi, Avil, Karamavu, Kara

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP native range includes Assam, India Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: W. & S. India, Sri Lanka, Assam to Bangledesh.
Recorded habitat: Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests, also in the plain
Explore nearby plants: Tamil Nadu →Karnataka →Kerala →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Karai

Identify Karai 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: Sour edible fruit resembling an olive (Ceylon olive).
Confirm leaf margin: Toothed (serrate/dentate edge).
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: June-March.
In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Elaeocarpaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Karai.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Elaeocarpus serratus
Genus: Elaeocarpus
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests, also in the plain
Habitat type: Forest
Distribution: Tropical Himalayas, India, Malaysia, Bangladesh
Found in India: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Mizoram, West Bengal
Flowering & fruiting: June-March
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf margin: Toothed (serrate/dentate edge)recorded

Typical of the family

Type: Simple

Characters marked “recorded” are for Karai itself; the rest are typical of the Elaeocarpaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Fruit: Drupe

Typical of the Elaeocarpaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.

About Karai

Wild olive tree (Elaeocarpus serratus) is a tree in the Elaeocarpaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and 7 other states. It grows in evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests, also in the plain. Flowering and fruiting run from June to March.

Uses

In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and planted as an ornamental. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.