- Family : CELASTRACEAE
(Staff-Tree Family)
- Family (Hindi name) : MALKANGANI FAMILY (मालकांगनी फैमिली)
- Family (as per The APG System IV) : Celastraceae
- Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Cassine balae Kosterm.
- Common name : Tiny star flower
- Habit : Shrub or Tree
- Habitat : Tropical dry evergreen forests
- Key identification features : Shrub or Tree; Branches numerous, slender, furrowed bark; Leaves simple, opposite, ovate or elliptic-oblong, base cuneate, margin deeply serrate with pungent serrations, apex acute or obtuse-subacute, 3-7 cm long, 1.5-4cm wide, coriaceous, glabrous, dark green color; Petiole 0.4-1 cm long, glossy; Inflorescences axillary, loose panicles, peduncles slender 1-2cm long; Pedicels filiform, approximately 3mm long; Sepals 5, broadly ovate, green, valvate, 1 mm long, obtuse at apex; Petals 5, oblong, pale green, concave, valvate, 3 mm long, obtuse at apex; Stamens 5, with short filaments inserted into a cushion-like disk, filaments curve downward at maturity, anthers globose; Ovary immersed in the disk, with a short, conical style and a simple stigma; Fruit drupe, oblong, approximately 2cm long, greenish when unripe.
- Flower, Fruit : January
- Distribution :
- Tamil Nadu : Ramanathapuram district
- Native : India, Sri Lanka
- Exotic/Native : Native
- World Distribution : S. India, Sri Lanka
- Conservation Status : Critically endangered (CR)
- Literature :
- Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
- Krishnachandran, Sampath Kumar & Daniel, P & Umamaheswari, P. (1999). Cassine balae Kosterm.: New to the Celastraceae of India.. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS). 96. 493-496.
- Read more :
- Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Cassine balae
- Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Cassine balae. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.
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