Indian Gutta Percha
Palaquium ellipticum
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
- Flowering
- January-July
How to identify Indian Gutta Percha
Identify Indian Gutta Percha 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: Latex source for gutta-percha.
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Simple.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- Confirm fruit type: Berry.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: 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.
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Common plant problems
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