Moolaga Shembaga Palai / Grey Bollywood
Neolitsea zeylanica
Also known as Smooth-Barb Bollygum
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- April-May
How to identify Moolaga Shembaga Palai
Identify Moolaga Shembaga Palai 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.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: April-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Lauraceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Moolaga Shembaga Palai.
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Moolaga Shembaga Palai 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
- Kannada
- ಬಿಳಿ ನಿಸಂಗಿ Bili Nisangi, ಮಸ್ಸಿಮರ Massimara
- Konkani
- कानवेल Kanvel
- Malayalam
- കീഴമ്പഴം Keezhambazham, പ്രാവരി Praavari, വെള്ളക്കൊടല Vellakkodala, വെങ്കണ Venkana
- Marathi
- चिरचिरा Chirchira, कानवेल Kanvel
- Tamil
- மொலகா செம்பக பாளை Moolaga Shembaga Palai, படபடா Patapataa
- Telugu
- కుక్క కర్పూరమ Kukka Karpooram
About Moolaga Shembaga Palai
Grey Bollywood (Neolitsea zeylanica) is a tree in the Lauraceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and 2 other states. It grows in dry deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from April to May.
Lauraceae
Laurel/Cinnamon family
Moolaga Shembaga Palai 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.
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