Common Name:

General Information

Careya arborea is a deciduous, small to medium-sized tree growing up to 20 metres tall[]. The bole can be straight when the tree is growing in good conditions, but is often stunted in poor sites[].
The plant is a popular herbal remedy in India, where it is often harvested from the wild for local use and trade. The tree also supplies a dye, fibre, gum, tannins and wood for local use. It is sometimes grown as a shade-providing ornamental[].

Known Hazards

The seeds are slightly poisonous[].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia.

Habitat

Scattered but locally common in primary or secondary, evergreen or deciduous, slightly seasonal forest, sometimes in more open country and along forest edges[]. It is absent from perhumid rain forest[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a well-drained, sandy or even rocky soil[]. Requires a sunny position[].
In India the annual diameter increment can be up to 0.5 cm, but growth of coppice is faster, 0.6 - 0.9 cm in diameter for 8-year-old coppice shoots[].
The tree is highly fire resistant and coppices well[].

Edible Uses

The fruit is edible, but the seeds are reported as slightly poisonous[, ]. The fruit is a capsule up to 6cm in diameter with a leathery skin and a fleshy pulp[].

Medicinal

The fibrous bark has been applied medicinally for relieving body swellings[].

The juice of the bark, and the calices of the flowers, are astringent and mucilaginous[]. They are often used internally in India for treating coughs and colds, and are applied externally as an embrocation[, ].

An astringent gum exudes from the fruit and stem[].

The pulped leaves are used as a poultice[].

The bark of the tree and the sepals of the flowers are well-known Indian remedies, and are valued on account of their astringent and mucilaginous properties, being administered internally in coughs and colds and applied externally as an embrocation.

Other Uses

The fibrous bark contains a brown dye[, ].

The bark yields a good fibre that is used locally for coarse cordage[, ]. It is also suitable for making brown paper and is used as a slow match to ignite gunpowder[].

The bark is a source of tannins[].

A gum is obtained from the tree[].

The tree yields a medium-weight to heavy hard wood with a density of 770 kg/m cubic to over 1000 kg/m cubic at 15% moisture content. Heartwood pale red to dark red-brown in older trees, sapwood wide, pale reddish-white; grain straight; texture medium and even. Shrinkage of the wood is very high, so it should be seasoned slowly as it easily develops surface checks, end splits, and is very liable to warp and twist It is moderately hard and somewhat difficult to saw, but presents no difficulties when worked with hand and machine tools. It yields a smooth finish and a good polish. The wood is durable, especially under water[].
The wood is used, mainly in India and Myanmar, for general construction (house posts, planking), furniture and cabinet work, carts, mouldings, turnery, piling and agricultural implements[].

Propagation

Seed - there is over 90% germination in 11 - 46 days[].

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