Nanyul / Ceylon Boxwood
Psydrax dicoccos var. dicoccos
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
- Flowering
- February-September
How to identify Nanyul
Identify Nanyul 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).
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-September.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal.
- Confirm it sits within the Rubiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Nanyul.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Psydrax dicoccos var. dicoccos
- Genus
- Psydrax
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Evergreen, semi-evergreen and dry deciduous forests, also in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- Sri Lanka
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Malaysia
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-September
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (VU)
Leaf characters
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Nanyul itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Nanyul itself; the rest are typical of the Rubiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- நந்ஜுல் Nanjul, நல்லமந்ரம் Nallamandharam
- Kannada
- ಹಣಗೆ Hanage, ಹೆಟ್ಟೇರನಿಕೆ Hetteranike, ಹಣಗಿಗಾರೆ Hanagigaare
- Malayalam
- നന്യുല് Nanyul
- Marathi
- अरसुल Arsul, तुपा Tupa
About Nanyul
A member of the Rubiaceae family, Ceylon Boxwood (Psydrax dicoccos var. dicoccos) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. It grows in evergreen, semi-evergreen and dry deciduous forests, also in the plains. Flowering and fruiting run from February to September.
Rubiaceae
Coffee/Madder family
Nanyul belongs to the Rubiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Rubiaceae 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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