Jambu / Burma Iron-Wood
Xylia xylocarpa
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- February-December
How to identify Jambu
Identify Jambu 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: Extremely hard, dense timber (Burma ironwood).
- Confirm leaf shape: Feathery bipinnate leaflets.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Mimosaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Jambu.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Xylia xylocarpa
- Genus
- Xylia
- Family
- Mimosaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Associated with sal forests, moist deciduous forests, also in the plains
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Myanmar, Malesia, Indo-China, Philippines
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Daman & Diu, Madhya Pradesh
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Feathery bipinnate leafletsrecorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Jambu itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded“This perennial tree is very conspicuous in the flowering season owing to its bright yellow flowers.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Head
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Jambu itself; the rest are typical of the Mimosaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- जंबू Jambu, जांबु Jambu, सुरिया Suria
- Nepali
- जांबु Jambu
- Bengali
- লোহা কাঠ Loha Kat, লোহা কাঠ
- Tamil
- இருள் Irul, இருவேல் Iruvel, Irul, Iruvel
- Telugu
- బోజ Boja, ఎర్ర చెన్నంగి Erra Chennangi, కొండ తంగేడు Konda Tangedu
- Kannada
- ಬೆಟ್ಟದಾವರಿಕೆ ಮರ Bettadaavarike Mara, ಹೊಮ್ಮವರಿಕೆ Hommaavarike, ಇರುಳ್ Irul
- Malayalam
- ഇരുൾ Irul, ഇരുമുള്ള് Irumullu, കടമരം Kadamaram
- Marathi
- जांभा Jambha, सुरिया Suriya, येरूळ Yerul, जांभा
About Jambu
Burma Iron-wood (Xylia xylocarpa) belongs to the Mimosaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and 13 other states. It grows in associated with sal forests, moist deciduous forests, also in the plains. Flowering and fruiting run from February to December.
Mimosaceae
Mimosa/Acacia family
Jambu 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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