Cherei / Black-Flowered Varnish Tree
Holigarna nigra
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering
- March-May
How to identify Cherei
Identify Cherei 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: Blackish flowers.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: March-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
- Confirm it sits within the Anacardiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Cherei.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Holigarna nigra
- Genus
- Holigarna
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Leaves are simple, alternate, and spathulate, with a cuneate base, entire margins, and an obtuse or occasionally retuse apex;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Leaves are simple, alternate, and spathulate, with a cuneate base, entire margins, and an obtuse or occasionally retuse apex;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- Simplerecorded
- Leaf margin
- EntirerecordedA smooth, unbroken edge with no teeth or notches.“Leaves are simple, alternate, and spathulate, with a cuneate base, entire margins, and an obtuse or occasionally retuse apex;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Cherei itself; the rest are typical of the Anacardiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Drupe
Typical of the Anacardiaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- Cherei, ചെരി
About Cherei
Black-Flowered Varnish Tree (Holigarna nigra) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. It grows in evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from March to May.
Anacardiaceae
Cashew family
Cherei belongs to the Anacardiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Anacardiaceae 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