Cinnamomum tamala

Good to know that we have this tree in Kothrud Area (full grown and flowering)

Can you please tell the exact address of the tree as well, so that it can be observed closely!

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I have similar tree at my office premises at Tathawade off Mumbai Pune Expressway.
I don’t know which one is that Tamal patra or Dalchini.
If anyone is interested to see you are most welcome.
Do call me before coming

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the plant here in question is C. tamala (tamalpatra)
C. zeylanicum has very aromatic leaves.

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Tamala – indiantreepix | Google Groups  : 4 posts by 4 authors.

Tamala tree is a celebrated name in ancient literature mentioned by Kalidasa, Bhartrihari, e.g. ” Tamala Tali Banarajineela” Kalidasa
‘Raghubansam’. Vaishnava literature put it on a sacred pedestal.
Coming back to Kolkata I asked my friends Do anyone of you know Tamala ? None ! So consulted dictionary which. says a tree similar
to ‘Gab’ (Diospyros peregrinna gurka) common in Bengal. I told … on whose request information poured in.
Dr. Pankaj Oudhiya sent 29 photographs which completely identify it with its leaves and flowers. It is Cinnamomum tamala. Lo, its
leaves we daily use as tejpata ! Krishna Iyer from Hyderabad sent a note on ‘Malabathrum/ Malabar leaf’. From these and other sources from
net I gathered sufficient information. The book “Cinnamon and Cassia : the genus Cinnamomum” by P.N.Ravindran et al describes: this as a
medium sized evergreen tree, upto 7.5 m high, with zigzag branching, trunk with 95 cm girth, bark rather rough. This grows wild in
Himalayas, Khasi and Jaintia Hills, North Cachar Hills, East Bengal.
Sharma in his book “Indigenous Drugs of India” writes – ‘Tejpat is mainly grown in the Jaintia Parganas. Many plantaions are selfsown. and a few are planted. The total area covered is approximately 600 acres.” This was a revelation Many of us thought it comes from the south! Cinnamon(i.e. C. zeylanicum) or Darchini is native to Sri Lanka and south India. Prof. Jana , however, differed. He referred to a book “Chiranjib Banoushadhi” by Ayurvedacharya Shibkali Bhattacharya. This is a wonderful book written in Bengali describing some 500 plants and shrubs with their pictures, botanical names, therapeutic uses  of roots, barks, leaves, flowers and fruits. There are 11 volumes. In the tenth volume there is a chapter on Tamala. Considering all pros and cons he concludes Tamala is Garcinia xanthochymus and not Cinnamomum tamala. He also referred to G. indica wellknown in the west as Kokum. From the net we find its synonyms are G.pictoria, G.tinctoria ; English names are Mysore gamboze and sour mangosteen; ten sanskrit names including Tamala. One article says that yellow mangosteen is G. tinctoria while purple mangosteen is G. mangostana. More information may be obtained from “Flora of India” by B.D.Sharma and others (1993) What is its family name ? Net says Clusiaceae other says Guttiferae?
Another problem remains unsolved. According to Vaishnava literature Tamala is mostly found in Vrindaban. Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, says, they say that only four trees are left. Is it then dying ? Any member interested to verify this ? There is one tamal tree in Belur brought from Vrindaban. But it looks quite different !

I must admit that I am a layman in this subject. I am aware of the quotation – Proper identification of a plant may require specialized taxonomic knowledge. Be advised that their identity may be inaccurate.”

If am not mistaken, Tamala is the tej patta, called vayana in Malyalam. The botanical name is C. tamala. Kokum or Garcinia indica is probably not correct identification. Tamala grows in Kerala. I have fond memories of the leaf being used to make steamed jack fruit cakes (Kumble appam). This is a close relative of C. verum (Cinnamon) and camphora (Campher plant)

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Will it be possible for you to get detailed photographs of your tree in Vrindavan to have further discussions on the group?
Here is the indistinct image of this tree in Vrindavan at http://www.vaisnava.cz/fotky/vrindavan/056-v.jpg. Does it help?

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My observations and experiences

तमाल पत्रं राजेंद्र भजमाज्ञानदायक

Do not consume Tamala Patra i.e. Tobacco, as it destroys your knowledge.

In Ayurveda literatures it is mentioned that Tamala tree is present in Yamuna and Tapti river belt. Leaves are like Shisham and fruits are like Karonda. Branches are black. Many poets have compared this blackness with color of Shri Krishna. For instance

हेमलता ‘तमाल‘ अवलंवित, सीस मल्लिका फूली हो।
कुंचित केस बीच अरुझाने, जनु अलिमाला भूलि हो।। (परमानंद दास)
तरनि-तनया तीर मरकत मनि, जु श्याम ‘तमाल‘।
ब्रज की नारि-समूह मंडल बनी कंचन माल।। (चतुर्भुजदास)

As far as Garcinia xanthochymus is concerned it is present in good number in different locations throughout India. Here is detail about it.

I have much to share specially on Tamal of different medicinal properties and uses but I am not sure about safety of information provided through this group. We are not sure whether someone is gathering this information for commercial use or research or just for interest. Tamal like plants are very important for treatment of modern diseases. Hence we must be very careful. Few months back researchers asked for Noni (Morinda citrifolia) distribution in Central India. I furnished information. Few days back natives informed that Noni companies are inquiring about spots from same reference.

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I am doubtful of the tree id. Would you pl. mail clear photos of the tree including those of leaves for id confirmation.
Was it a cultivated tree ?

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Unfortunately the images of Symbiosis-403,404 and 405 were not up to the mark but there is no doubt about the identity. It’s a very common tree here. And the images were taken on a tree which is next to my house. How ever I will post suitable images in future.

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I am doubtful of the tree id. Would you pl. mail clear photos of the tree including those of leaves & fruits for id confirmation.
Was it a cultivated tree ?

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I am doubtful of the tree id. Would you pl. mail clear photos of the tree including those of leaves & fruits for id confirmation.
Was it a cultivated tree ?

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There is no doubt in my mind that the species is Cinnamomum tamala (BAY LEAF/ TJPAT). The tree is very common here and it grows almost in every house with available space.

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