Typical of the Sapotaceae family
Madhuca neriifolia
Mahua / Illipe Butter Tree महुवा
Hindi name · See all regional names ↓
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
- Flowering
- November-March
Mahua in regional languages
Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.
| Language | Regional script | Recorded Latin spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi | महुवा | Mahua |
| Tamil | ஆத்து இலுப்பை | Atta Illupei, Atta illupei, Vanji |
| Kannada | Not recorded | Hulinanele, Nanale, Neeruhippe |
| Malayalam | Not recorded | Attuillippa, Kattuilluppei, Attu-ilippa, Iluppa |
| Marathi | मोहा | Tupa, Moha |
See the original recorded names
- Hindi
- महुवा Mahua
- Tamil
- ஆத்து இலுப்பை Atta Illupei, Atta illupei, Vanji
- Kannada
- Hulinanele, Nanale, Neeruhippe
- Malayalam
- Attuillippa, Kattuilluppei, Attu-ilippa, Iluppa
- Marathi
- Tupa, मोहा Moha
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP native range includes India Kew dataset ↗︎
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: S. India, Sri Lanka.
- Recorded habitat
- Banks of rivers in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests
- Explore nearby plants
- Tamil Nadu →Karnataka →Kerala →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Mahua
Identify Mahua 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: Narrow oleander-like leaves, seed oil source.
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate (long, narrow, tapering to a point).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: November-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala.
- Confirm it sits within the Sapotaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Mahua.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Madhuca neriifolia
- Genus
- Madhuca
- Family
- Sapotaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Banks of rivers in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala
- Flowering & fruiting
- November-March
- Conservation status
- Endangered (EN)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Lanceolate (long, narrow, tapering to a point)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mahua itself; the rest are typical of the Sapotaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
Typical of the Sapotaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
About Mahua
Illipe Butter Tree (Madhuca neriifolia) belongs to the Sapotaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It grows in banks of rivers in evergreen and semi-Evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from November to March.
Sapotaceae
Sapodilla/Chicle family
Mahua belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapotaceae 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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