Calophyllum inophyllum L. | |
Calophyllaceae | |
Punnai | |
| Botanical Name | Calophyllum inophyllum L. |
| Synonyms | Calophyllum inophyllum. Var. takamaka Fosberg; Calophyllum inophyllum Var. wakamatsui (Kaneh.) Fosberg & Sachet |
| Family | Calophyllaceae |
| Common Name | English : Tamanu, Mast Wood / Tamil Punnai Maram |
| Distribution | Global : Tropical and Subtropical Asia, Africa, Australia and Madagascar Indian: Throughout India. |
| Description | : Large evergreen tree up to 30m height, bark black and cracked with fissures, Inner bark reddish with yellow exudates, crown irregular. Leaves petiolate, exstipulate, simple, opposite decussate, Lanceolate to obovate or elliptic, margin entire, leathery and subcoriaceous. Inflorescence terminal or axillary panicle racemes. Flower white, fragrant, bracteate, bract caducous, pedicellate, polygamous, tetramerous, and hypogynous. Sepals 4, ovate, petaloid and nerved, petals 4 rarely 3 or 5, white, ovate, or elliptic, nerved. Stamens many, filament long, connate 4-6 bundles, cream coloured, anther rounded or retuse. Ovary globular, unilocular, superior, style long slender, stigma peltate. Fruit indehiscent drupe, ovoid-globose, with thin exocarp, dry mesocarp and stony or spongy endocarp. Seeds 1, ovoid-globose, with large cotyledons, exalbuminous, with oil content. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | April – June and October – December/ Throughout the year |
| Uses | Timber for ship building, Planted as ornamental and environmental management in coastal areas, seeds used for oil extraction. |
| Medicinal Uses | Used for treatment of ulcer, eye infection. It also reported to have anticancer, antiviral and antibacterial properties. |
| Tamil Name | Punnai |