Terminalia elliptica Willd.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

Terminalia elliptica Willd., also known by the synonym Terminalia tormentosa, is a species in the Terminalia genus.

Native Range

It is native to southern and southeast Asia, growing naturally in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Habitat and Elevation

It is a prominent tree in both dry and moist deciduous forests in southern India, found at elevations up to 1,000 metres (3,300 feet).

Regional Common Names

It has many common names across different regions: asna; saj or saaj; Indian laurel; marutham in Tamil; matti in Kannada; ain in Marathi; taukkyan in Burma; sadar, matti or marda in India; asana in Sri Lanka.

Informal Common Name

It is also informally called crocodile bark because of its distinctive bark pattern.

Tree Size

This species grows as a tree reaching up to 30 m (98 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m.

Fruit Characteristics

It produces ovoid fruit that is 3 cm (1.2 in) long, with five wings that do not extend past the fruit apex.

Bark Property

Its bark is fire-resistant.

Wood Grain and Luster

The wood of this tree is coarse, with fairly straight grain, and ranges from dull to somewhat lustrous.

Wood Sensory Properties

It has no distinct smell or taste.

Heartwood Coloration

The hardwood color varies from light brown with few markings to dark brown or brownish black, with darker streaks creating a figured pattern.

Sapwood Characteristics

The sapwood is reddish white, and is sharply differentiated from the heartwood.

Wood Durability and Pests

The heartwood is moderately durable, while the sapwood is prone to attack by powder-post beetles.

Dry Season Water Storage Trait

Some individual trees of this species have the unusual trait of storing water during the dry season.

Water Storage Survey Findings

A survey carried out at Bandipur National Park, India found that a portion of the trees store water, and both the frequency and amount of water storage increase with the tree's girth.

Water Storage Research Status

The mechanism and ecophysiological significance of this water storage are not yet understood.

Wood Uses

The wood of Terminalia elliptica is used for furniture, cabinetwork, joinery, paneling, specialty items, boat-building, treated railroad cross-ties, decorative veneers, and musical instruments such as guitar fretboards.

Silkworm Host Use

Its leaves are eaten by Antheraea paphia silkworms, which produce tassar silk (also called Tussah), a commercially important type of wild silk.

Bark Medicinal and Chemical Uses

The bark is used as a medicine to treat diarrhoea, and oxalic acid can be extracted from it.

Dye and Tannin Source

Pyrogallol and catechol can be obtained from the bark, and especially the fruit, to dye and tan leather.

Stored Water Uses

In the summer, forest-dwelling people often tap the water stored in the tree's stem to use as a source of potable water, and this stored water is also believed to help treat stomach pain.

Exotic Cultivation

Outside of its native range, this species is cultivated in southern China.