Polyalthia fragrans (Dalzell) Bedd.

 
  • Family : ANNONACEAE
    (Custard-Apple Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : SITAPHAL FAMILY (सीताफल फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Annonaceae
  • Basionym : Guatteria fragrans Dalzell
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Monoon fragrans (Dalzell) B.Xue & R.M.K.Saunders
  • Common name : Fragrant Cherry Nutmeg
  • Vernacular name :
    • Gowri mara, Kakechapaya (Kannada)
    • Chella, Kodangi, Pullarei, Nedunar, Perumaram (Malayalam)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Tropical evergreen forests
  • Comments / notes : Frequent in evergreen and Tropical semi-evergreen forests of Western Ghats.
  • Key identification features : Bark greenish-grey blast with white spots; bark and blaze aromatic.
  • Flower, Fruit : November-April
  • Collection Nos : CJS 13057, HFP 2544
  • Distribution :
    • Karnataka : Dakshina Kannada district, Uttara Kannada district, Kodagu (Coorg) district, Hassan district, Belagavi district, Bengaluru Urban district, Bengaluru Rural district, Chikkamagaluru district, Shivamogga district, Udupi district
    • Kerala : Kannur district, Wayanad district, Malappuram district, Palakkad district, Thrissur district, Idukki district, Pathanamthitta district, Kollam district, Thiruvananthapuram district
    • Maharashtra : Sindhudurg district
    • Tamil Nadu : Coimbatore district
  • Native : India
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • Endemism : Western Ghats
  • World Distribution : India
  • Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
  • Literature :
    • Saldanha & Nicolson, 1976 - Flora of Hassan district, Karnataka
    • Balakrishna Gowda & A.N. Sringesh 2004 – Sringeri (checklist unpublished)
    • Flora of Karnataka, Flora of Karnataka, Saldanha, 1984
    • Gopalakrishna Bhat, 2014 - Flora of South Kanara
    • Henry, Kumari & Chithra (1983). Flora of Tamil Nadu, India vol. 1
    • Sasidharan, N. 2011. Flowering plants of Kerala. DVD, V 2, KFRI.
    • K.Ravikumar, A.C.Tangavelou, & Navendu Page. (2021). Seed plants of Karnataka, India: A concise dictionary. FRLHT-TDU, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Polyalthia fragrans
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Polyalthia fragrans. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Botanical Description

Herbarium Specimen(s)

Field Image(s)

Habitat

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution

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