Tamal / Ceylon Gamboge
Garcinia morella
Also known as Indian Gamboge Tree
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
- Flowering
- October-August
How to identify Tamal
Identify Tamal 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: Yellow resin (gamboge) tapped from the bark.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Opposite.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Solitary.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: October-August.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Garcinia morella
- Genus
- Garcinia
- Family
- Clusiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
- Distribution
- Indo-Malesia
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
- Flowering & fruiting
- October-August
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- OppositerecordedTwo leaves arise from the stem at the same point, facing each other.“Leaves simple, opposite, decussate;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Leaves simple, opposite, decussate;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.“lamina 6.5-15 x 3.5-8 cm, usually elliptic, sometimes narrow obovate, apex acute to acuminate, base attenuate;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“petiole 0.6-1.5 cm long, canaliculate, sheathing at base, glabrous;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Tamal itself; the rest are typical of the Clusiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- SolitaryrecordedA single flower borne alone, not in a cluster.“female flowers larger than male, solitary, axillary.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Tamal itself; the rest are typical of the Clusiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Tamal
- Tamil
- Iravasinni, Makki, Solaippuli
- Kannada
- Devana Huli, Murina Huli, Jirigehuli, Ardala
- Malayalam
- Chigiri, Iravi, Daramba, Karukkampuli
- Marathi
- Tamal
About Tamal
A member of the Clusiaceae family, Ceylon Gamboge (Garcinia morella) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It grows in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from October to August.
Uses
In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and tapped for gum or resin. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Clusiaceae
Mangosteen/Garcinia family
Tamal belongs to the Clusiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Clusiaceae 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