Diospyros montana ?

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Quarrelsome tree, Jagala ganti mara, Nila viruksha, Kare mara,  Kari, Kari maram;
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Tamal of Brindaban : ID Please : 12 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (2)
About two years back we had long discussion on “Tamala“. Ayurvedacharya Shibkali Bhattacharya says Tamala is Garcinia xanthochymus. English name is Sour Mangosteen which has come from Malayan word mangustan. The tree with its fruits and leaves were shown at that time.
Recently we visited Belur Math. Swamiji brought one Tamala from Brindaban and planted it some 40 years back. It has grown about 20 ft tall. It flowes in spring; small yellowish white flower. It bears no fruit. I am attaching a part of a twig and a leaf. Kindly identify.

The name Tamala in Sanskrit is shared by two species Garcinia xanthochymus Hook.f. (syn: G. tinctoria Dunn.) and G. morella Desr. They also share Hindi name Tamal. Other names include:

           G. xanthochymus                               G. morella
Beng:  Chalata, tamal                                     Tamal
Mar:    Jharambi, ota                                       Tamal
Tel:     Ivarumidi, tamalamu                               Pasupuvarne, revalchinni
Tam:   Kulavi, malaippachai, mukki, tamalam     Makki, solaipulippuli
Kan:   Devagarige, janagi                                  Devagarige
Mal:   Anavaya,                                                Chigiri, daramba, karukkampuli, pinnarpuli
Oriya:Cheoro, sitambu
Nepal:Chunyei
Assam:                                                           Kuji-thekera
Looking at the shape of leaves the plant to me it looks like G. xanthochymus which has narrower but longer (15-25 cm long) thicker leaves as compared to somewhat thinner but broader and shorter (8-12 cm long) leaves.

Thank you … for your illuminating note. One difficulty i face. Garcinia xanthochymus bears fruits (see attached photo) but this one does not as obseved by people in the Math.

All three are supposed to produce fruits. The mangostreen G. mangostana has 6-8 cm diam fruits, dark purple when ripe with 5-8 seeds; The sour mangosteen, G. xanthochymus has dark yellow fruit 5-8 cm in diam with 5 seeds, where as Indian Gamboge tree G. morella has much smaller about 2 cm across fruit with 4 seeds. The tree usually has numerous male flowers and a few female and bisexual ones. Check for both types of flowers, essential for seed set. The occurrence of single tree may be the problem. It is reported that in many species of Garcinia young trees produce male flowers and old trees female flowers, and as such presence of both young and old trees is necessary for fruit set. You may please check this aspect.

To me it doesn’t look like Garcinia. As far as i know, Garcinia species generally have opposite, subfleshy and glabrous leaves. The leaf in the picture is alternate, chartaceous and hairy. So, i think it can’t be Garcinia. It someway looks like Diospyros though not sure. More details required to id it.

Yes … You are right. The plant has alternate leaves. The search is on, the plant may not be Tamala after all.

I think its a species of Diospyros, likely to be D.montana

One thing we are sure that it flowers in spring and has small white/yellow flowers. It does not bear fruit. So if Diospyros montana can fulfil the above two conditions it is D. montana. Will the experts kindly verify .

If it is confirmed as Diospyros montana (pl try to send flower pictures), and if it flowers and doesn’t produce any fruits, then it should be a ‘male’ tree! obviously it will never set fruit!!

Diospyros montana male flowers picture from net: http://www.petprauma.com/plant/makleo01.jpg

Kindly let us know the native languages names and also the English name of Diospyros montana.

Here are the names:
Diospyros montana Roxb.
English: Mountain persimon
Sans.: Tamala
Hindi: Bistendu, tendu
Beng.: Bangab
Mar.: Goindu, timru
Guj.: Timbarao
Tel.: Eddayagata, gatugata
Tam.: Vakkanai, vakkanattan
Kanm.: Jagalaganti, balagunike
Oriya: Bhodrika
Punjab: Hirek, Kendu
M. P.: Kadal, kanchau
Source of Bombay ebony, crushed leaves and fruits used for stupefying fish; fruit crushed and applied externally to boils

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Jagala ganti mara – Quarrelsome tree : 8 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)
According to the local farmers belief, if the wood from this tree is used as a fire wood at home, a quarrel arises between mother in law and daughter in law. There by the villagers avoid cutting of this tree for fuel. In this picture we can see only half of the tree with leaves and the other half barren.
Location: Moodlu Koppalu
K R Nagar, Mysore dist.
Jagala Ganti mara (English : Quarrel some tree)
Family: Ebenaceae
Diospyros Montana

 

I could find a good link for this tree called Diospyros candolleana as per the link:
indian-herbs-exporters
Do you have other pictures of leaves etc. pl. post them?

trunk and leaf of the same tree. Attachments (2)

Thanks, … Sorry, I didn’t see that you have already given its scientific name as Diospyros montana. Here is one link for this: encyclopedia.frlht

Trees of Delhi by P. Krishen states Diospyros montana as invalid syn. of D. cordifolia, while D. montana var. cordifolia as valid syn. of D. cordifolia. Common names for D. cordifolia being Bistendu, Mountain persimmon, Bombay Ebony, Kendu etc.

This file picture of the Diospyros montana tree that was posted years back shows one half of the tree with leaves and the other half barren. We were positive that leaves would sprout on the side that was hitherto barren. Our patience bore fruit this year (a period of 5 years since the first post) with the tree showing clear signs of green leaves on its barren side. But then, thanks to Nature’s fury, the newly bedecked Jagala ganti mara or the Diospyros montana tree lay uprooted.  Sigh!

May 05 2010

Moodlu Koppal 

Picture of Jagalaganti  photo Feb 2008
Trees uprooted: efi thread

 

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