Bark
Very distinctive white or pale grey bark Bark is smooth, flaking in thin scales Exudes karaya gum when injured.
Sterculia urens
Syn. Cavallium urens
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
(LC)
Local name
- Indian Ghost Tree (English)
- Kulu (Hindi)
- Kogdol (Gujarati)
Tree type
Evergreen
Deciduous
Family: Malvaceae
15m
Indicated uses
Medicinal
Edible
Ornamental
Avenue
Other
Flowering & fruiting
Flowering
Fruiting
Key characters
Leaves
Large, palmately lobed (3–5 lobes) Rough texture Leaves appear after shedding in summer (leafless during dry season)
Flower
Small, yellowish-green, not very conspicuous Occur in clusters Bloom in summer before leaf flush.
Fruit / Seeds
A cluster of 3–5 boat-shaped follicles Each follicle opens to expose seeds Outer surface red when ripe. Black, shiny, oval Covered with irritant hair-like structures inside thefruit.
Did you know?
When its trunk is injured, it exudes gum karaya, a commercially valuable natural gum used as a thickener and stabiliser in various products.
Distribution
Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China, Cuba