Karkala / Sandpaper Raisin
Grewia flavescens
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- September-May
How to identify Karkala
Identify Karkala by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Sandpapery leaves used like sandpaper.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: September-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Tiliaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Karkala.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Grewia flavescens
- Genus
- Grewia
- Family
- Tiliaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Tropical Africa
- Distribution
- India, Tropical Africa
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Tiliaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Karkala itself; the rest are typical of the Tiliaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Kannada
- ಕರ್ಕಲ Karkala
- Marathi
- खटखटी Khatkhati, खटखटी
About Karkala
Sandpaper Raisin (Grewia flavescens) is a shrub in the Tiliaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka and 6 other states. It grows in deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from September to May.
Tiliaceae
Lime tree/Jute family
Karkala belongs to the Tiliaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Tiliaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Karkala or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
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