Nekota / Wild Aphania
Lepisanthes tetraphylla
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- November-May
How to identify Nekota
Identify Nekota 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: Leaves typically with four leaflets.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: November-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Sapindaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Nekota.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Lepisanthes tetraphylla
- Genus
- Lepisanthes
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Semi-evergreen and Evergreen forests; in sacred groves
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malay peninsula, Cambodia, Martinique, Africa
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- November-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Nekota itself; the rest are typical of the Sapindaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Typical of the Sapindaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Tamil
- Nekota, Karadipongan, Masamathi
- Telugu
- Korivi, Boddamaamidi, Ekkudubusi
- Malayalam
- കുളപ്പുന്ന
- Marathi
- Kurpa, कुरपा
About Nekota
A member of the Sapindaceae family, Wild Aphania (Lepisanthes tetraphylla) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and 6 other states. It grows in semi-evergreen and Evergreen forests; in sacred groves. Flowering and fruiting run from November to May.
Sapindaceae
Soapberry/Lychee family
Nekota belongs to the Sapindaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapindaceae 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