Statue of Unity – Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat Rain Forest Ektanagar

Canarium strictum

Syn. Rumphia amboinensis

IUCN Red List Endangered (EN)

Local name

  • Black Dhoop (English)
  • Kala Daamar (Hindi)
  • Kalo Daamar (Gujarati)

Tree type

Evergreen Deciduous
Family: Burseraceae
30m

Indicated uses

Medicinal Edible Ornamental Avenue Other

Flowering & fruiting

Flowering Fruiting

Key characters

Canarium strictum bark

Bark

Dark grey to blackish-brown, thick, rough, and deeply fissured; exudes an aromatic resin known as black dammar when injured.

Canarium strictum leaves

Leaves

Leaves are compound, imparipinnate, alternate, spiral, clustered at twig ends, axis is ferruginous velvet-hairy; leaflets 3–9 pair with odd one at tip, increasing in size towards tip; leaflet-stalk is 0.3–0.7 cm long.

Canarium strictum flower

Flower

Flowers are bisexual or polygamous, in shortly branched in leaf-axil panicles, about 1 cm long, yellow to dull white, shortly stalked and mildly fragrant.

Canarium strictum fruit / seeds

Fruit / Seeds

Fruits are 2.5–5.0 cm long, pointed at ends, mesocarp fleshy, stone hard, aromatic and seeds trigonous, usually 3-celled with three seeds.

Canarium strictum

Did you know?

The tree produces Black Dammar (Raal), an aromatic resin used in incense, varnishes, waterproofing, traditional medicines, and religious ceremonies.

Distribution

World map showing distribution

S. India, Sikkim to China (South Yunnan) and North Thailand