Irubogam / Iron Wood Of Malabar
Hopea parviflora
Also known as White Kongu, Hopea
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering
- January-June
How to identify Irubogam
Identify Irubogam 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: Extremely hard, dense timber (ironwood of Malabar).
- Confirm leaf shape: Ovate (egg-shaped, broad at base).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-June.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
- Confirm it sits within the Dipterocarpaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Irubogam.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Hopea parviflora
- Genus
- Hopea
- Family
- Dipterocarpaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests, also in sacred groves in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-June
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened (NT)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Ovate (egg-shaped, broad at base)recorded
Characters marked “recorded” are for Irubogam itself; the rest are typical of the Dipterocarpaceae family.
Local Names
- Tamil
- Irubogam, Pongu, Vellaikongu, Irubogam, Pongu, Vellaikongu
- Kannada
- ಬೋಗಿಮರ Bogi mara, ಬೋವುಮಾರ Bovu Mara, ಕಿರಾಲುಬೋಗಿ Kiralbogi, Bogi mara, Bovu Mara, Kiralbhogi, Sannele Bogi, Tirupu
- Malayalam
- Urippu, Irumbogum, Kongu, Urippu, Irumbakam, Kongu, Thambagam, Iripu, Kambakam, Karimpongu
About Irubogam
A member of the Dipterocarpaceae family, Iron wood of Malabar (Hopea parviflora) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. It grows in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests, also in sacred groves in the plains. Flowering and fruiting run from January to June.
Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarp/Sal family
Irubogam belongs to the Dipterocarpaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Dipterocarpaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Irubogam 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.
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