Sideroxylon inerme L.

 
  • Family : SAPOTACEAE
    (Sapodilla Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : CHIKOO FAMILY (चीकू फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Sapotaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Roemeria inermis (L.) Thunb.; Calvaria inermis (L.) Dubard
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Sideroxylon inerme L.
  • Habit : Tree
  • Comments / notes : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : Medium-sized, much-branched evergreen tree up to 15 m tall, with sturdy bole (to 60 cm) and dense, rounded, often gnarled crown; Bark grey-brown to black; Young branches and leaves finely hairy; Leaves simple, spirally arranged, ovate to elliptic-ovate, thick, dark green above, dull beneath, entire, apex rounded to obtuse; Flowers small, greenish-white, strongly unpleasant-smelling, borne in cymose clusters on old wood; Fruits small, round, purplish-black berries with milky latex.
  • Flower, Fruit : March-November
  • Distribution :
    • Karnataka : Bengaluru Urban district, Bengaluru Rural district
    • Uttar Pradesh : Uttar Pradesh
  • Native : Aldabra, Cape Provinces, Comoros, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Mozambique Channel Islands, Northern Provinces, Somalia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : Somalia to S. Africa, Mayotte, Aldabra, Juan de Nova Island
  • Literature :
    • Rana, T. S., Agnihotri, P., & Prabhukumar, K. M. (2023). Plant Resources of Uttar Pradesh- A checklist. CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute.
    • Photographs of K. Sankara Rao
    • 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=Sideroxylon inerme
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Sideroxylon inerme. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Field Image(s)

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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