How to identify Chikana
Identify Chikana 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: Flowers in clusters of five.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: April-May.
- Confirm it sits within the Lauraceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Chikana.
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Its leaves are simple, alternate;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Its leaves are simple, alternate;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.“lamina obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chikana itself; the rest are typical of the Lauraceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Drupe
Typical of the Lauraceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- Mala-poenna
- Marathi
- चिकणा chikana, कुरक kurak
About Chikana
Deccan Litsea (Litsea quinqueflora) is a tree in the Lauraceae family. It grows in evergreen and deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from April to May.
Lauraceae
Laurel/Cinnamon family
Chikana belongs to the Lauraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Lauraceae 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