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

Psydrax umbellatus

Syn. Canthium umbellulatum

IUCN Red List Least Concern (LC)

Local name

  • Umbelled Canthium (English)
  • Arsul (Marathi)
  • Kari (Sanskrit)

Tree type

Evergreen Deciduous
Family: Rubiaceae
15m

Indicated uses

Medicinal Edible Ornamental Avenue Other

Flowering & fruiting

Flowering Fruiting

Key characters

Psydrax umbellatus bark

Bark

Generally greyish-brown; branches unarmed and glabrous.

Psydrax umbellatus leaves

Leaves

Young branches are 4-sided, leaves ovate, sharp tipped.

Psydrax umbellatus flower

Flower

White, fragrant, axillary umbels on short, thick stalks; calyx ovoid, five-toothed; corolla tube hairy inside, with five spreading lobes and an exserted style bearing a rounded, two-lobed stigma.

Psydrax umbellatus fruit / seeds

Fruit / Seeds

The fruit is a small, ellipsoid or ovoid black, two-lobed drupe.

Psydrax umbellatus

Did you know?

The genus Canthium derives from the Malay word canti, the local name of a tree in Malacca first described in the genus. The species epithet “umbellata” comes from Latin umbella, meaning “little umbrella,” referring to its umbrella shaped flower clusters.

Distribution

World map showing distribution

India to Indo-China