Kamala Tree
Mallotus philippensis
Also known as Monkey face tree
About Kamala Tree
Mallotus philippensis is a plant in the spurge family. It is known as the kamala tree or red kamala or kumkum tree, due to the fruit covering, which produces a red dye. However, it must be distinguished from kamala meaning "lotus" in many Indian languages, an unrelated plant, flower, and sometimes metonymic spiritual or artistic concept. Mallotus philippensis has many other local names. This kamala often appears in rainforest margins. Or in disturbed areas free from fire, in moderate to high rainfall areas. It occurs in South Asia, Southeast Asia, as well as Afghanistan and Australia. The southernmost limit of natural distribution is Mount Keira, south of Sydney.
Description adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Mallotus philippensis
- Genus
- Mallotus
- Family
- EUPHORBIACEAE
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Mixed forests
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Western Himalayas, Formosa, Malesia, Australia, Melanesia
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- कामला kamala, रैनी raini, रोहन rohan
- Nepali
- सिन्दूरे Sindoore, रोहिणी Rohinee, सिन्धुरे
- Bengali
- কমলা kamala
- Tamil
- கபிலப்பொடி kapila poti, குரங்குமஞ்சணாறி kuranku-mañcanari
- Telugu
- కుంకుమ చెట్టు kunkuma-chettu
- Kannada
- ಕುಂಕುಮದಮರ Kunkumada mara, ಕಪಿಲಾರಂಗು Kapilaarangu, ಹುಲಿಚೆಂಡು Hulichendu
- Malayalam
- ചെങ്കൊല്ലി cenkolli, കുങ്കുമപ്പൂമരം kunkumappuumaram, കുരങ്ങുമഞ്ഞശ് kurangumanjas
- Marathi
- केशरी kesari, शेंदरी shendri, कपिला
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge/Euphorbia family
Kamala Tree belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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