Bhela / Indian Marking Nut Tree भेला

Hindi name · See all regional names ↓

Also known as Oriental Cashew Nut, Dhobi Nut Tree

Native in Indian regions · Kew WCVPTreeoutdoor

Habit: Tree
Found in India: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam & more
Flowering: July-April

Identify this plant with SASYA

One plant. Many familiar names.

Bhela in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Bhela
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Hindi	भेला · भिलावां भिलावन · निर्दहन · भिलावाँ	Bhela, Or Bhilawan, Nir-Dahan, bhilavan
Nepali	भलायो	Bhalaayo
Bengali	অহ্বলা · ভল্লাত · ভল্লাতক	Ahbala, Bhallata, Bhallataka
Tamil	சேங்கொட்டை · சோம்பலம் · காலகம்	Cen-Kottai, Compalam, Kalakam
Telugu	భల్లాటము · జీడిమామిడిచెట్టు · నల్ల జీడి	Bhallatamu, Jidimamidichettu, Nalla Jeedi
Kannada	ಗೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ · ಗೇರು · ಗೊಡ್ಡುಗೇರು	Gerkaayi, Geru, Goddageru
Malayalam	അലക്കുചേര് · ചേന്‍ക്കുരു · തേങ്കൊട്ട	Alakkucheru, Chenkkuru, Thenkotta
Marathi	भल्लातक · भिल्लावा · बिबवा · बिब्बा	Bhallataka, Bhilava, Bibava

See the original recorded names

Hindi: भेला Bhela, भिलावां Or भिलावन Bhilawan, निर्दहन Nir-Dahan,भिलावाँ bhilavan
Nepali: भलायो Bhalaayo
Bengali: অহ্বলা Ahbala, ভল্লাত Bhallata, ভল্লাতক Bhallataka
Tamil: சேங்கொட்டை Cen-Kottai, சோம்பலம் Compalam, காலகம் Kalakam
Telugu: భల్లాటము Bhallatamu, జీడిమామిడిచెట్టు Jidimamidichettu, నల్ల జీడి Nalla Jeedi
Kannada: ಗೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ Gerkaayi, ಗೇರು Geru, ಗೊಡ್ಡುಗೇರು Goddageru
Malayalam: അലക്കുചേര് Alakkucheru, ചേന്‍ക്കുരു Chenkkuru, തേങ്കൊട്ട Thenkotta, അലക്കുചേര്
Marathi: भल्लातक Bhallataka, भिल्लावा Bhilava, बिबवा Bibava, बिब्बा

The source-backed species sheet

Toxicity & contact hazards

What the sources report, with their scope intact. A missing rating stays unknown; a non-toxic listing doesn’t rule out irritation, injury or other hazards.

Irritating sap

Oil from the marking nut causes itchy blisters on skin, often in streaks. Do not apply it to wounds.

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP native range includes Assam, India, West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗︎
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Indian Subcontinent to Myanmar.
Recorded habitat: Moist deciduous and semi-Evergreen forests on hills to 1000 m
Explore nearby plants: Maharashtra →Karnataka →Assam →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Bhela

Identify Bhela 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: Sap used as an indelible cloth-marking ink (marking nut).
Confirm leaf shape: Simple, large.
Confirm fruit type: Drupe.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-April.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Anacardiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bhela.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Semecarpus anacardium
Genus: Semecarpus
Family: Anacardiaceae
Habit: Tree
Habitat: Moist deciduous and semi-Evergreen forests on hills to 1000 m
Habitat type: Forest
Distribution: Himalayas, India, Malayan Archipelago, Singapur, Australia, Africa, Indo-Malaysia, China
Found in India: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha
Flowering & fruiting: July-April
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape: Simple, largerecorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Alternate
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bhela itself; the rest are typical of the Anacardiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Fruit type: DruperecordedA fleshy fruit with a single hard stone/pit enclosing the seed.“Like the closely related cashew, the fruit is composed of two parts, a reddish-orange accessory fruit and a black drupe that grows at the end.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit: Drupe

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bhela itself; the rest are typical of the Anacardiaceae family — flowering plants only.

About Bhela

Indian Marking Nut Tree (Semecarpus anacardium) belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam and 11 other states. It grows in moist deciduous and semi-Evergreen forests on hills to 1000 m. Flowering and fruiting run from July to April.