Indian Gutta Percha
Palaquium ellipticum
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
- Flowering
- January-July
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Palaquium ellipticum
- Genus
- Palaquium
- Family
- Sapotaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-July
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Leaves are alternate, simple, petioles 20-25 mm long, blade 7.5-10 x 3.7-5 cm.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“Leaves are alternate, simple, petioles 20-25 mm long, blade 7.5-10 x 3.7-5 cm.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.“Leaf shape could be ovate or obovate, tip is obtuse, blunt, base is narrow, margin entire, and there will be 10-12 pairs of lateral nerves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- EntirerecordedA smooth, unbroken edge with no teeth or notches.“Leaf shape could be ovate or obovate, tip is obtuse, blunt, base is narrow, margin entire, and there will be 10-12 pairs of lateral nerves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“Leaves are glabrous too.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Indian Gutta Percha itself; the rest are typical of the Sapotaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded“Flowers are bisexual, in axillary fascicles, 10-12 x 10-12 mm length, and the color is white.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- BerryrecordedA fleshy fruit with seeds embedded directly in the pulp, no central stone.“Fruit is a berry, 3-3.7 x 1-1.6 cm length, ellipsoid shape and, green.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Indian Gutta Percha itself; the rest are typical of the Sapotaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- பாலா
- Malayalam
- പാലി
About Indian Gutta Percha
Indian Gutta Percha (Palaquium ellipticum) belongs to the Sapotaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It grows in evergreen forests. Flowering and fruiting run from January to July.
Sapotaceae
Sapodilla/Chicle family
Indian Gutta Percha belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapotaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Indian Gutta Percha or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.