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3. Terminalia bellirka (Gaertn.) Roxb., PI. Corom. 2: 54. 1798. (Fig. 114).
Terminalia belerica Roxb.—Wyrobalanus bellerica Gaertn.
COMBRETACEAE
Engl. Belleric Myrobalan; Sinh. Bulu; Tarn. Akkam, Akkana, Akkandam, Ambalatti,
Kalanduri, Kalitturumam, Kandugam, Sadagam, Sirottam, Tanri, Vibidagam; Hindi Bahera,
Behara, Behra, Bhaira, Bhairach, Bharla, Buhura, Bulla, Sagona; Sans, Anilaghnaka, Bahcduka,
Bahuvirya, Bhutavasa, Bibhitaki, Harya, Kali, Kalidruma, Kalinda, Kalivriksha, Kaliyugalaya,
Kalpavriksha, Karshaphala, Kasaghna, Kushika, Sanvarta, Tailaphala, Talaphala,
Tilapushpaka, Tusha, Vasanta, Vibhitaka, Vishaghna.
A large, deciduous tree with a straight, buttressed trunk and long, horizontal branches,
bark brown and young parts glabrous; leaves simple, alternate, without stipules, placed at
the ends of branchlets, 10—20 cm long, 7—15 cm broad, obovate—oval, tapering to the base,
rounded or very shortly acuminate at apex, entire with a pellucid margin, glabrous and shining
on both sides, paler beneath, stiff, venation finely reticulate, main veins prominent beneath,
petioles 37—5 cm long, cylindrical without glands at apex; flowers regular, polygamous,
small, pale greenish-yellow, strongly scented, male flowers shortly pedicellate, bisexual flowers
nearly sessile, numerous m axillary spikes or racemes shorter than leaves, often crowded at
ends of branchlets without leaves so as to form terminal panicles, peduncles pubescent, bracts
minute, caducous; sepals 5, fused into a calyx-tube adnate to the ovary and constricted above,
limbs free, campanulate divided into lobes, tomentose outside, the limbs with long hairs within;
petals absent; stamens 10, biseriate, 5 longer ones inserted on the calyx-tube outside an annular,
epigynous, hairy disc alternating with the calyx teeth and the five shorter ones opposite calyx
teeth, anthers opening by slits; ovary inferior, unilocular with 2 or 3 pendulous ovules; fruit
an indehiscent drupe, often somewhat pyriform, narrowed at base, irregular on the surface,
not angled, covered with a fine, close, brownish-yellow tomentum, stone large, woody with a
large seed cavity
Flowers during February.
Illustrations. Roxburgh, PI. Corom. 2: pi. 198. 1798; Wight, III. Ind. Bot. pi. 91.
1841—50; Beddome, Flor. Sylvat. 1: pi. 19. 1868—73; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. PI
pi. 4120. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya. drawing.
Distribution. Grows in the forests of India, Burma, Ceylon and Malaya. It is not very
common in Ceylon, confined to the moist and intermediate regions of the low-country; Kurunegala,
Bibile, Gal-oya, etc.
India. Assam. Herb. Kurz 14. Sivalik and Jaunsar Div., Lachiwala, Gandhe 49, April
1921; Chota Nagpore, Clarke 25077C, Nov. 1874. Concan, Stocks. Maisor and Carnatic:
G. Thomson. Pen. Ind. Or., Herb. Wight 1011/1, Kew Distribution 1866—7. Ceylon. Kurunegala,
Thwaites C.P. 1605; Walker.
Uses. The pericarp of the dry fruit is an ingredient in many decoctions for a variety of
diseases. It is one of the myrobalans which go to form the 'Thippar which is largely used
by every Ayurvedic physician for all the diseases of the human body and enters into the
combination of many of their stock preparations. In India, it is chiefly employed in dropsy,
piles, diarrhoea, leprosy and fever. It is an ingredient in a very useful preparation for sore eyes
even after white spots appear in the cornea. The bark is a mild diuretic and the
gummy exudation is believed to be a demulcent and purgative. The fixed oil extracted from the
seeds is considered a beneficial application for the hair and for rheumatism.
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