Nickernut
Guilandina bonduc
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & more
How to identify Nickernut
Identify Nickernut by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Hard grey seeds (nickernuts).
- Confirm leaf type: Bipinnately compound.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Raceme.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Caesalpiniaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Nickernut.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Guilandina bonduc
- Genus
- Guilandina
- Family
- Caesalpiniaceae
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Bipinnately compoundrecordedThe leaf is divided twice — each 'leaflet' is itself a row of smaller leaflets, giving a fine, fern-like look.“The leaves are large and bi-pinnate, up to 40 cm (16 in) long with scattered prickles on the rachises and blades.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Nickernut itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“The inflorescence is an axillary raceme, often branched, covered with short hairs and up to 15 cm (6 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Nickernut itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- கழற்சிக்காய்
- Marathi
- सागरगोटा
About Nickernut
Nickernut (Guilandina bonduc) belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and 19 other states.
Uses
It is long used in traditional medicine and planted as an ornamental. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Nickernut belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Caesalpiniaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Nickernut 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