Kapar / Milky Way Tree कपार

Hindi name · See all regional names ↓

Also known as Pala Indigo Plant, Sweet Indrajao

Native in Indian regions · Kew WCVPTreeoutdoor

Habit: Tree
Native to: India
Flowering: March-July

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One plant. Many familiar names.

Kapar 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 Kapar
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Hindi	कपार · दुधी	Kapar, Dudhi
Tamil	பாலை · வெப்பாலை	Paalai, Vetpalai
Kannada	ಅಲಿಗಿಲಿ · ಕೊಡಮುರ್ಯ · ಹಾಲೆ	Aligili, Kodamurya, Haale
Malayalam	Not recorded	Aiyappala, Kotakappala
Marathi	काळा कुडा	Not recorded

See the original recorded names

Hindi: कपार Kapar, Dudhi दुधी
Tamil: Paalai பாலை, Vetpalai, வெப்பாலை
Kannada: ಅಲಿಗಿಲಿ Aligili, ಕೊಡಮುರ್ಯ Kodamurya, ಹಾಲೆ Haale
Malayalam: Aiyappala, Kotakappala
Marathi: काळा कुडा

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP native range includes India Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: India.
Explore nearby plants: Browse plants by state →

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 Kapar

Identify Kapar 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: Source of natural indigo-like blue dye, subspecies of the dye plant.
Confirm flower colour: White.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: March-July.
Confirm it sits within the Apocynaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Kapar.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Wrightia tinctoria subsp. rothii
Genus: Wrightia
Family: Apocynaceae
Habit: Tree
Native to: India
Distribution: India
Flowering & fruiting: March-July
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Arrangement: Opposite
Type: Simple
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Typical of the Apocynaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Whiterecorded

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Cyme
Fruit: Follicle

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

About Kapar

Milky Way Tree (Wrightia tinctoria subsp. rothii) belongs to the Apocynaceae family, where it grows as a tree. It is native to India. Flowering and fruiting run from March to July.

Botanical family

Apocynaceae

Dogbane family

Kapar belongs to the Apocynaceae family.

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

Explore the Apocynaceae family

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Common plant problems

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