Calmogara / Chaulmugra
Hydnocarpus pentandrus
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- March-August
How to identify Calmogara
Identify Calmogara 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: Source of chaulmoogra oil.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Raceme.
- Confirm fruit type: Berry.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: March-August.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Hydnocarpus pentandrus
- Genus
- Hydnocarpus
- Family
- Flacourtiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Semi-evergreen, deciduous, and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-August
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Leaves are simple, alternate, carried on 0.7–2.2 cm (0.28–0.87 in) long stalks.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Leaves are simple, alternate, carried on 0.7–2.2 cm (0.28–0.87 in) long stalks.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- EllipticrecordedWidest at the middle, tapering evenly at both ends.“Leaves are 8 cm–23 cm × 3.5 cm–10 cm (3.1 in–9.1 in × 1.4 in–3.9 in), usually oblong to elliptic-oblong, tip long-pointed, often falling off, base narrow, margin toothed, papery, h” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Leaves are 8 cm–23 cm × 3.5 cm–10 cm (3.1 in–9.1 in × 1.4 in–3.9 in), usually oblong to elliptic-oblong, tip long-pointed, often falling off, base narrow, margin toothed, papery, h” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“Leaves are 8 cm–23 cm × 3.5 cm–10 cm (3.1 in–9.1 in × 1.4 in–3.9 in), usually oblong to elliptic-oblong, tip long-pointed, often falling off, base narrow, margin toothed, papery, h” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Calmogara itself; the rest are typical of the Flacourtiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower arrangement
- RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“Its flowers have greenish white petals and are borne in short cymes or racemes, or sometimes appear by themselves in .” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- BerryrecordedA fleshy fruit with seeds embedded directly in the pulp, no central stone.“Its berries are woody, round, tomentose, about 6–10 cm (2.4–3.9 in) in diameter, and start off black when young but become brown when they mature.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Calmogara itself; the rest are typical of the Flacourtiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- चालमोगरा Calmogara, Chalmogra, Chaulmoogra
- Tamil
- Maravetti, Maravattai, Marotti
- Kannada
- ಚೌಲ್ಮೂಗ್ರ Chaulmoogra, ಎಣ್ಣೆಮರ yenne mara, Mirolhakai
- Malayalam
- Kodi, Maravatty, Marotti
- Marathi
- Kadu Kawath
About Calmogara
Chaulmugra (Hydnocarpus pentandrus) is a tree in the Flacourtiaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and 2 other states. It grows in semi-evergreen, deciduous, and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains. Flowering and fruiting run from March to August.
Uses
Locally it is long used in traditional medicine, distilled for an aromatic oil and tapped for gum or resin. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
Flacourtiaceae
Flacourtia Family
Calmogara belongs to the Flacourtiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Flacourtiaceae 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.
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