Bhesa paniculata Arn.

 
  • Family : CELASTRACEAE
    (Staff-Tree Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : MALKANGANI FAMILY (मालकांगनी फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Centroplacaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Kurrimia paniculata (Arn.) Wall. ex M.A.Lawson; Pyrospermum calophyllum Miq.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Bhesa paniculata Arn.
  • Common name : Isoetes plant
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Tropical evergreen forests
  • Key identification features : A medium-sized to large deciduous tree, up to 65 m tall; Bole is often fluted at the base; Bark grey-brown; Texture smooth to cracking with age, inner bark is orange-yellow when freshly cut, Sapwood is pale white; Stipules lanceolate, approximately 3cm long, likely caducous but prominent at early stages; Leaves paripinnately compund, alternate, siprally arranged on branches; Leaflets 3-4 pairs, elliptic to oblong, rarely obovate, 5.5–27 cm long, 2.2–13 cm wide, base cuneate or rounded, apex pointed or blunt, Petiole 1-9.5cm long, swollen at both ends; Inflorescence terminal or axillary panicles or racemes, pedicel short, 2-3mm long; Flowers greenish yellow or dark purplish-red, calyx lobes hairy on outside, petals small, oblong or ovate, hairy inside, Disc deeply 5-lobed; Stamens 1.5-2mm long, anthers triangular; Ovary ellipsoid, style free, approximately half the length of the ovary; Fruit dry, 2-lobed capsule or nut-like structure, red when fresh, turns dark brown when dry, 1-2cm long, larger lobe up to 0.5cm wide, papery to woody texture.
  • Flower, Fruit : November-January
  • Distribution :
    • Kerala : Anaimalai Hills
    • Tamil Nadu : Anamalai hills (Coimbatore district)
  • Native : Borneo, India, Malaya, Myanmar, Philippines, Sumatera, Thailand
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • World Distribution : S. India, Peninsula Thailand to W. & Central Malesia
  • Conservation Status : Least Concern (LC)
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
    • Hooker, J. D. (1875). The Flora of British India (Vol. 1). L. Reeve & Co., London. Pg.: 622
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Bhesa paniculata
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Bhesa paniculata. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Habitat

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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