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Alstonia macrophylla

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Images by J.M.Garg, Mahadeswara Swami &(Aarti Khale – identified by Raman), (inserted by Bhagyashri Ranade) 

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al-STON-ee-uh — named for Dr C Alston, Scottish Professor of Botany at Edinburgh ... Dave’s Botanary
mak-roh-FIL-uh — big leaf … Dave’s Botanary

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commonly known as: batino, devil tree, hard alstonia • Bengali: বড়পাতা ছাতিম bara-pata chhatim • Gujarati: મોટી સપ્તપર્ણી mothi saptaparni • Kannada: ಜಂತಾಲ ಮರ janthaala mara • Malayalam: പെരും പാല perum paala • Marathi: मोठी सातवीण mothi satveen • Nicobarese: tachoroi • Onge: chuharoi • Tamil: வெள்ளை மரம் vellai maram • Telugu: బాటినో batino

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070311-PR-2 For ID -Chennai. This is a tall tree growing in a park at Chennai. It is closely surrounded by other trees.

– This is Alstonia macrophylla. One can see very good specimens in Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore Chennai.

– It is Alstonia macrophylla seen in Nageswara rao Park. It must have been pointed out to us by you, …, but there were so many specimens that were new to me that it must have escaped my attention. Btw, the Alstonia scholaris at the Agri-hort garden has not bloomed though I have been watching it the past year or so. The Pseudobombax ellipticum had just ONE fantastic pink flower about 5-6 inches wide at the top of a bare tree, last week. It was a stunning sight

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121011-MS – 54 – Alstonia macrophylla:   Herewith enclosing the photographs of Alstonia macrophylla. A tall tree in flowering and fruiting condition. Photos taken on 9.10.11 in one of the roads in Mysore. The tree attracts a lot of birds especially parrots. In the evening one can see hundreds of parrots perching on these trees (a row of trees on this road)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8EMzJ7gH7f8/T92lddCTlDI/AAAAAAAAAl4/hdDJSQLwf_M/s1600/web-Tall+tree-+mango+type+leaves-+small+white+flowers-3.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4aNuu3XFGlw/T92llIR3c9I/AAAAAAAAAmA/2P9xbN0syBg/s1600/web-Tall+tree-mango+type+leaves-+small+white+flowers-2.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R0tQE3B9icY/T92lXK3hefI/AAAAAAAAAlw/507wJowV1h4/s1600/web-Tall+tree-+mango+type+leaves-+small+white+flowers-1.jpg
Tree ID- tall tree, many small white flowers, Bangalore: Please help to identify.
Location- Roadside along Ulsoor Lake, Bangalore
Date- June 17, 2012
Tall tree- maybe 10 m; mango type leaves; clusters of small white flowers. Had long thin dried brown pods (couldn’t get a picture of that)
 

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Tree For ID : Lalbagh,Bangalore : 121213 : AK-13 :

Tree with many pods hanging seen on 21/11/13.

I am not able to place the name.

Is it Markhamia or something else?

Alstonia macrophylla, Wall. ex G. Don <=> Batino Tree

Thanks a lot for the id.
I have seen this tree in Mumbai,

Could not recollect the name.

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Requestion ID : Attachments (1). 2 posts by 2 authors.
Please help me in identifying this tree.
Tree location: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Date: 24-03-2014

Further, please find attachment for the reference.

It is Alstonia macrophylla native to south east Asian countries, it is planted in parks and roadsides

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Request for identification-E2 : 16 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)- 2 Mb.
Kindly request you to identify with scientific name. This photo has been taken in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya.
Picture not very clear.
Fagaceae? Quercus sp/ Castanopsis sp
OR Persea sp
If there are some other photos of this plant it may be of help.

Thank you very much. I will check and get back to you.

Does not seem to match with any species so far in efi as per comparative images at Fagaceae & Persea
Can it be Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex G.Don as per images herein or some similar species ?
No. it is not.
One one of the shoots I can see several buds. This may be some Persea spp as well. But the photo is not very focussed, so may not be possible to go much further..
But why pods look like that of Alstonia species?
Kindly compare the photographs of Alstonia macrophylola (attached herewith) taken by me and then decide.
Thanks, …, That is what I have also suggested.
Attachments (3)
I have not encountered this species personally. However, the basic leaf arrangement and the fruits have the looks of Alstonia scholaris. Therefore I would believe that it would be Alstonia sp. Some pictures of A. macrophylla on the internet also resemble these photos. It strongly suggests that the specimen is correctly identified.
Images by tspkumar

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158-TSP-ID-03FEB2018-1: A tree near Chikmagalur for ID assistance : 9 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (4)

Kindly examine and identify this Tree 

Habit: Tree 

Habitat: Wild, Semi-evergreen forest. 

Sighting: Near Chikmagalur, Karnataka, about 1200 msl 

Date: 08-05-2015

… a guess: Holarrhena pubescens

Could this be Rauvolfia verticillata??

Thanks for the feed back … But I go with … The fruit in case of Rauvolfia verticillata is a drupe whereas that of Holarrhena pubescens is a pair of divergent follicles that is evident in  two of the uploaded images. Ref: http://florakarnataka.ces.iisc.ernet.in/hjcb2/herbsheet.php?id=361&cat=1

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Fwd: MS/3/2018/2 – tree ID. : 3 posts by 1 author. Attachments (4)

Please help me to I’d. Could this be Alstonia macrophylla.

Place : Mysore.
I also feel close to images at Alstonia macrophylla
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Tree ID verification – Batino (Alstonia macrophylla) : 9 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (1)- 4 MB.
Date/Time- 02-Sep-2018
Location- Place, Altitude, GPS- Dhakuria Lake, Kolkata
Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type-Urban
Plant Habit- Tree/ Shrub/ Climber/ Herb- Tree
Height/Length- 30-40 Feet
Leaves Type/ Shape/ Size- Jamun Like
Inflorescence Type/ Size- Small White with 5 petals
Flowers Size/ Colour/ Calyx/ Bracts- < 1 cm
Fruits Type/ Shape/ Size Seeds- clustered narrow bean-like
Other Information like Fragrance, Pollinator, Uses etc.- Not Sure

I have identified it as Alstonia macrophylla but it is labelled as Alphitonia excelsa. So need second opinion

first what its not Alphitonia excela. seeds are described as such in Wikipedia – It bears small greenish white flowers in late autumn and early winter, followed by globular dark fruit around 1.5 cm (0.5 in) in diameter,[4] which contain two seeds

Native of Australia

its fruits are shown here
now for what it may be you think it is Alstonia macrophylla
could you please share the picture of the current label here

Thanks … By see … photos in Wikipedia I am almost certain that it is Alstonia macrophylla, but would be great if he confirms!

Thanks, …,  At first glance to me also id is OK. I will also have closer look as and when time permits.

Yes. You are right. It is Alstonia macrophylla

 

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Tree identification : 7 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (3)- 1 mb or more.

Kindly help me identified this tree whose fruits and leaves i have tried to capture. same attached.

Where and were these images clicked?
Pl. check

/species/a—l/a/apocynaceae/alstonia/alstonia-macrophylla

The photos have been taken in Govardhan Eco Village. About 110 kms from Mumbai towards north in Palghar District.

…, the leaves look exactly same as the URL you have provided. This I can say because I took close look at the leaves and even plucked one to compare it with another plant having similar looking leaf and leaf arrangement.
The fruits or the pods also look similar.

I did not witness the flowering on this tree, otherwise that should have sealed my doubt over its identification.

Apocynaceae ?? Apocynum sp.??
Already identified as
Plant ID : 9 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (4)
Kindly identify the plant.
Date/Time- 21 JUN 2019
Location-Place, Altitude, GPS- Agara Lake, Bengaluru
Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type-  May be planted near lake
Plant Habit-Tree/ Shrub/ Climber/ Herb- Shrub
Height/Length- 80 cm. 
Leaf – Big leaf 42 cm long
Stem- Green with white speckles. 
Flower- White and tiny

Seems to be Alstonia sp. Apocynaceae.

Thanks for your reply …

I knew the tree earlier but the sapling form was new to me, hence difficulty in identification. I insert the slide of this species made by me earlier.
Plumeria probably…..does not look like Alstonia for me
Flowers are hispid.

Yes, Alstonia only.

Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex G.Don  ?? Please provide elevation in mt. or ft.

Elevation of Bengaluru 920 metres

Thank you …! Did you cross check for ID verification?

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Apocynaceae: Alstonia macrophylla Wall.: 1 image.

synonyms: Alstonia brassii Monachino, Alstonia glabriflora Markgr., Alstonia acuminata Miq.
location/date: University of Agricultural Sciences campus, Bangalore, July 1997

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Names of Plants in India :: Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex G.Don: 1 image.
Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex G.Don

al-STON-ee-uh — named for Dr C Alston, Scottish Professor of Botany at Edinburgh ... Dave’s Botanary
mak-roh-FIL-uh — big leaf … Dave’s Botanary

commonly known as: batino, devil tree, hard alstonia • Bengali: বড়পাতা ছাতিম bara-pata chhatim • Gujarati: મોટી સપ્તપર્ણી mothi saptaparni • Kannada: ಜಂತಾಲ ಮರ janthaala mara • Malayalam: ബാറ്റിനോ batino • Marathi: मोठी सातवीण mothi satveen • Nicobarese: tachoroi • Onge: chuharoi • Tamil: வெள்ளை மரம் vellai maram • Telugu: బాటినో batino

known for / parts made use of: stem bark, leaves, trunk timber, roots & latex (sap), the whole living tree … compiled from the web

botanical names: Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex G.Don … heterotypic synonyms listed at POWO, retrieved 12 July 2026

Bibliography / etymology / notes
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about “where” could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.

~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
batino
  • Philippine Medicinal Plants – StuartXchange … (accessed: July 12, 2026)
  • Batino is a popular name for this plant in the Tagalog language (spoken natively by the Tagalog people of the Philippines). … compiled from the web.
devil tree
hard alstonia
matchstick tree
  • The Useful Plants of India (CSIR, Publications & Information Directorate)
  • While the authoritative publication “The Useful Plants of India” published by CSIR indexes this species under the English name “Match-stick Tree” it is important to note that Alstonia macrophylla is not commercially cultivated for timber on the Indian mainland. It remains strictly an urban ornamental and avenue tree. The matchstick trade designation applies primarily to its native operations in Southeast Asia, where its lightweight, straight-grained wood is traditionally harvested for industrial safety splints. … compiled from the web.
~~~~~ BENGALI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali (বাংলা) … spoken in: West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
বড়পাতা ছাতিম bara-pata chhatim
  • While some local naturalists colloquially refer to Alstonia macrophylla as “ছোট ছাতিম” (Chhota Chhatim) due to its smaller, milder flowers compared to the native state tree Alstonia scholaris (ছাতিম / Chhatim), its scientific name explicitly denotes its massive foliage. Borrowing the size-modifier framework established by Shrikant Ingalhalikar in Maharashtra, বড়পাতা ছাতিম (Bara-pata Chhatim / Large-leaved Chhatim) is coined as the most anatomically accurate Bengali name for this introduced species.
~~~~~ GUJARATI ~~~~~
written in: Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) … spoken in: Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
મોટી સપ્તપર્ણી mothi saptaparni
  • As an introduced ornamental, Alstonia macrophylla lacks a traditional folk identity in Gujarat. However, the definitive Gujarati Vishwakosh establishes સપ્તપર્ણી (Saptaparni) [↗] as the universal local identity for the native Alstonia scholaris. મોટી સપ્તપર્ણી mothi saptaparni is coined in Gujarati, to cleanly represent the ‘Large Seven-Leaved’ characteristics of A. macrophylla, based on the elegant naming convention of botanist Shrikant Ingalhalikar, who coined ‘Mothi Satveen‘ in Marathi.
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) … spoken in: Karnataka
ಜಂತಾಲ ಮರ janthaala mara
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
written in: Malayalam (മലയാളം) … spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep
ബാറ്റിനോ batino
  • Sreekumar, V.B. and Kukreti S. B. (2024). A database for wood samples housed at the Xylarium of the Kerala Forest Research (KFRI Xylarium) … (accessed: July 13, 2026)
  • The state botanical bodies, like the “Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI)”, have bypassed coining a new name for this species. They have very simply maintained the authentic international trade name, reverse-transcribing it as ബാറ്റിനോ (Batino). The name integrates beautifully into the phonetic landscape of the Malayalam language without feeling out of place.
~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (मराठी) … spoken in: Maharashtra, Karnataka
मोठी सातवीण mothi satveen
  • name coined, for want of name, by Shrikant Ingalhalikar, the author of Further Flowers of Sahyadri, the second among the three field guides to identify plants of northern Western Ghats of India, based on flowers
~~~~~ NICOBARESE ~~~~~
written in: Latin … spoken in: Nicobar islands … spoken by Nicobarese people … Six distinct dialects and languages are spoken in the Nicobar Archipleago
tachoroi
~~~~~ ONGE ~~~~~
written in: Latin … spoken in: Little Andaman Island … spoken by: Onge people … other names for this language: Ongee, Eng, Ung, also rendered Önge
chuharoi
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) … spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
வெள்ளை மரம் vellai maram
~~~~~ TELUGU ~~~~~
written in: Telugu ( తెలుగు) … spoken in: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry
బాటినో batino
  • Exhaustive searches across Telugu news portals and Indian plant databases reveal no recorded regional name for this introduced species. Coining a compound name by prefixing a descriptor to the established names of Alstonia scholaris (such as Daevasurippi or Edakula Ponna) would not yield a phonetically pleasant name. To preserve linguistic harmony, it is best to very simply reverse-transcribe the globally popular Tagalog name into Telugu script as బాటినో (Batino).
~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
Native to Andaman & Nicobar islands; introduced in the Indian mainland [↗] as an ornamental in urban parks.
NOTE: Select regional names have been intentionally coined on this page for languages that previously lacked vernacular names, to give this introduced species a localized identity.
~~~~~ Created on: 08:44 13-07-2026 ¦ Last updated: 17:25 13-07-2026 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~

The site that you mentioned is owned by Kerala Forest Research Institute to promote this seasoned wood of A. macrophylla only for business motive, even though they need a Malayalam name to this specified timber category and gave the same Philippine name ‘batino’ to boost sales by exaggerating it as something exceptionally substantial. Basically Kerala Forest Research Institute’s duty is to protect/conservate plants and trees, neither tree cutting or promoting jungle-non-hard-timber business.  And Kerala Forest Research Institute is not accept publically today’s phenomenon of climate change due to huge carbon emission by industries of developed nations caused Global Warming. So I can’t agree with their Malayalam naming and I am totally rejected.  It is good to insert the common Malayalam name for Alstonia is Paala പാല (paala means lactiferous).

Just “പാല paala” would be too generic a name. It would apply to all plants that secrete milky sap.
Please coin some unique prefix so that this introduced species is clearly known by that name.
May be some prefix that suggests it is “foreign പാല” or “large-leaf പാല” or “big പാല”.

Last year, wild elephants passed through my property several times, first in my life time.
No problem for insertion the name Paala പാല.

Please understand that A. macrophylla is an exotic species, that is, not native to India.
It is not appropriate to share പാല paala — which would mean A. scholaris, a native plant.
I would not want to share same name among native and exotic species.
Help me with a name compounded with these two words: വലിയ + പാല.

പെരും പാല perum paala (here പെരും perum means big or huge) or ആനപാല aanapaala (ആന aana generally means elephant but used for denoting huge or big things). Better is പെരും പാല perum paala.

I too agree that പെരും പാല perum paala is perfectly suitable as a coined name for this exotic species.
Thank you very much for this help. Adding the name shortly to the compilation.

Malayalam coined-name revised …
commonly known as: batino, devil tree, hard alstonia • Bengali: বড়পাতা ছাতিম bara-pata chhatim • Gujarati: મોટી સપ્તપર્ણી mothi saptaparni • Kannada: ಜಂತಾಲ ಮರ janthaala mara • Malayalam: പെരും പാല perum paala • Marathi: मोठी सातवीण mothi satveen • Nicobarese: tachoroi • Onge: chuharoi • Tamil: வெள்ளை மரம் vellai maram • Telugu: బాటినో batino

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References:
Updated on August 24, 2026

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