Why is it called 'jungle jalebi'?

Its ripe pods curl and coil tightly, splitting open to reveal sweet pulp — a shape and taste reminiscent of the spiral Indian sweet jalebi.

Is the fruit actually edible?

Yes — the sweet-tart white or pink pulp around the seeds is commonly eaten fresh as a snack, especially by children in areas where the tree grows wild.

✿Mimosaceae · Pithecellobium

Jangal Jalebi / Manila Tamarind

Pithecellobium dulce

Also known as Sweet Tamarind, Blackbead, Madras Thorn, Monkeypod, Guamuchil, Guayamochil

TreeMedicinal

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu & more
Flowering: December-July

Identify this plant with SASYA

How to identify Jangal Jalebi

Identify Jangal Jalebi 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: Coiled pink-and-white pods with sweet edible pulp (Manila tamarind).
Confirm leaf type: Bipinnately compound.
Confirm leaf shape: Ovate.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: December-July.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Mimosaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Jangal Jalebi.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Pithecellobium dulce
Genus: Pithecellobium
Family: Mimosaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Deciduous forests, also planted in gardens
Habitat type: Forest, Cultivated
Native to: Tropical America
Distribution: Cultivated Tropics of the World
Found in India: Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand
Flowering & fruiting: December-July
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf type: Bipinnately compoundrecordedThe leaf is divided twice — each 'leaflet' is itself a row of smaller leaflets, giving a fine, fern-like look.“Its trunk is spiny and up to nine meters in girth (9.4 feet thick DBH) and its leaves are bipinnate.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape: OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Each pinna has a single pair of ovate-oblong leaflets that are about 2 to 4 cm (0.79 to 1.57 in) long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Alternate
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Jangal Jalebi itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Head
Fruit: Legume

Typical of the Mimosaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.

Local Names

Hindi: Jangal Jalebi जंगल जलेबी,जंगल जलेबी jangala jalebi, पिथोस्बॉबियम डूलस
Nepali: जलेबी
Bengali: খইয়া বাবলা
Tamil: கொடுக்காப்புளி Kodukkappuli, கொடுக்காப்புளி, கொடுக்காய்ப்புளி
Telugu: సీమ చింత
Kannada: ಸೀಮೆಹುಣಸೆ Seeme hunase, ಕೊರಕಾಪುಳಿ Korakaapuli, ಕೊಟ್ಟಾಂಪುಳಿ Kottaampuli, ಸೀಮೆ ಹುಣಸೆ
Malayalam: മാനിലപ്പുളി
Marathi: विलायती चिंच Vilayatichinch, विलायती चिंच
Odia: ଶିମକଇଁଆ

Jangal Jalebi in India

This thorny tree, known as Jangal Jalebi जंगल जलेबी (Hindi), கொடுக்காப்புளி Kodukkappuli (Tamil), సీమ చింత (Telugu), ಸೀಮೆಹುಣಸೆ Seeme hunase (Kannada), മാനിലപ്പുളി (Malayalam), विलायती चिंच Vilayatichinch (Marathi), is a common roadside and wasteland tree valued for its sweet pods. Pithecellobium dulce is found across Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal, tolerating poor soil and drought well.

Uses

The curled, split-open pods reveal a sweet-tart white to pink pulp around the seeds, eaten fresh as a snack — the twisted pod shape is the origin of its 'jungle jalebi' nickname; the thorny branches also make it a useful living fence.

How to Identify Jangal Jalebi

A thorny tree with distinctive bipinnate leaves made of just two leaflets per pair, unusual among compound-leaved trees. Small fragrant greenish-white flower puffs are followed by long, curling, coiled pods that split open to show the pulp and shiny black seeds inside.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Manila Tamarind called in different Indian languages?: Jangal Jalebi जंगल जलेबी (Hindi); கொடுக்காப்புளி Kodukkappuli (Tamil); సీమ చింత (Telugu); ಸೀಮೆಹುಣಸೆ Seeme hunase (Kannada); മാനിലപ്പുളി (Malayalam); विलायती चिंच Vilayatichinch (Marathi); খইয়া বাবলা (Bengali); ଶିମକଇଁଆ (Odia).
Why is it called 'jungle jalebi'?: Its ripe pods curl and coil tightly, splitting open to reveal sweet pulp — a shape and taste reminiscent of the spiral Indian sweet jalebi.
Is the fruit actually edible?: Yes — the sweet-tart white or pink pulp around the seeds is commonly eaten fresh as a snack, especially by children in areas where the tree grows wild.

Botanical family

Mimosaceae

Mimosa/Acacia family

Jangal Jalebi belongs to the Mimosaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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More in Mimosaceae

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Sources: GBIF — Pithecellobium dulce (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Pithecellobium dulce (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)