Terminalia chebula Retz.

Myrobalan (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Myrtales > Combretaceae > Terminalia

Characteristics

Trees to 30 m tall; trunk to 1 m d.b.h. Bark grayish black to gray, coarsely split and thick. Branchlets conspicuously white or yellowish long lenticellate, glabrous, or tomentose or appressed villous at least when young, hairs tawny, rarely silvery. Leaves alternate or subopposite, spaced along branchlets; petiole 1-3 cm, moderately stout, with 2(-4) glands 1-5 mm below apex; leaf blade elliptic, 7-18 × 4.5-10 cm, both surfaces glabrous, or appressed (and rarely silvery) villous at least when young, base obtuse-rounded or cuneate, oblique, apex mucronate; lateral veins in 6-12 pairs. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, simple spikes, 5-10 cm, numerous flowered, sometimes grouped at branchlet apex and forming a panicle; axis glabrous or sparsely hairy, with denser hairs near base of flowers. Flowers slightly fragrant, bisexual. Calyx tube distally cupular, 2.5-3.5 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially tawny tomentose; lobes 5, apex mucronate to aristate. Stamens 10, exserted, 3-4 mm. Fruit not stipitate, blackish brown when ripe, ovoid or broadly so, ellipsoid, or cylindric-ovoid, obtusely 5-ridged, 2-4.5 × 1.2-2.5 cm, rigid, becoming deeply wrinkled when dry, glabrous. Fl. May-Jun, Sep, fr. Jul-Dec. 2n = 24, 48, 72.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 25.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Scattered in teak forest, mixed deciduous forest, extending into forests of comparatively dry types; at elevations up to 1,500 metres, occasionally to 2,000 metres.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 2-5
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 10-12

Usage

Uses bee plant dye food gene source invertebrate food material medicinal oil timber wood
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use Cardiotonic agents (bark), Diuretics (bark), Pain (bark), Abdominal pain (fruit), Anemia (fruit), Anorexia (fruit), Anti-bacterial agents (fruit), Antifungal agents (fruit), Anti-infective agents (fruit), Anti-infective agents, local (fruit), Anti-inflammatory agents (fruit), Anti-obesity agents (fruit), Antitoxins (fruit), Antiviral agents (fruit), Appetite stimulants (fruit), Ascites (fruit), Asthma (fruit), Astringents (fruit), Blood pressure regulation (fruit), Cardiovascular diseases (fruit), Cathartics (fruit), Constipation (fruit), Cough (fruit), Dental caries (fruit), Dentifrices (fruit), Depression (fruit), Diabetes mellitus (fruit), Diarrhea (fruit), Digestive system diseases (fruit), Diuretics (fruit), Dysentery (fruit), Dyspnea (fruit), Edema (fruit), Disorder of ejaculation (fruit), Eye diseases (fruit), Fever (fruit), Filariasis (fruit), Flatulence (fruit), Gastrointestinal diseases (fruit), Headache (fruit), Heart diseases (fruit), Helminthiasis (fruit), Hematologic diseases (fruit), Hemorrhoids (fruit), Hepatomegaly (fruit), Hoarseness (fruit), Hypoglycemic agents (fruit), Hypotension (fruit), Inflammation (fruit), Inflammatory bowel diseases (fruit), Jaundice (fruit), Laxatives (fruit), Leprosy (fruit), Leukorrhea (fruit), Liver diseases (fruit), Lymphadenitis (fruit), Myocardial depressant factor (fruit), Pharyngitis (fruit), General tonic for rejuvenation (fruit), Skin diseases (fruit), Splenomegaly (fruit), Stomatitis (fruit), Stupor (fruit), Taste disorders (fruit), Ulcer (fruit), Urinary bladder calculi (fruit), Urination disorders (fruit), Vomiting (fruit), Wounds and injuries (fruit), Disorder of head (fruit), Eructation (fruit), Malabsorption syndromes (fruit), Rheumatoid arthritis (fruit), Antifungal agents (leaf), Antineoplastic agents (leaf), Asthma (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Cardiotonic (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Conjunctivitis (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Deobstruent (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Dysuria (unspecified), Ejaculation (unspecified), Energy (unspecified), Enterorrhagia (unspecified), Eye (unspecified), Gum (unspecified), Hair-Dye (unspecified), Hematuria (unspecified), Hoarseness (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Laxative (unspecified), Leucorrhea (unspecified), Lung (unspecified), Metritis (unspecified), Metrorrhagia (unspecified), Prolapse (unspecified), Rectum (unspecified), Sore(Throat) (unspecified), Splenitis (unspecified), Splenomegaly (unspecified), Sweat (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Tumor(Abdomen) (unspecified), Ulcer (unspecified), Demulcent (unspecified), Dysentery (unspecified), Scald (unspecified), Wet-Dream (unspecified), Aperient (unspecified), Burn (unspecified), Candida (unspecified), Cancer(Esophagus) (unspecified), Collyrium (unspecified), Evil eye (unspecified), Fumitory (unspecified), Hematofeces (unspecified), Syphilis (unspecified), Fungicide (unspecified), Measles (unspecified), Tumor(Lachrymae) (unspecified), Thrush (unspecified), Analgesics (unspecified), Anorexia (unspecified), Anthelmintics (unspecified), Anti-infective agents, local (unspecified), Antioxidants (unspecified), Antipyretics (unspecified), Aphrodisiacs (unspecified), Appetite stimulants (unspecified), Asthenia (unspecified), Astringents (unspecified), Cardiotonic agents (unspecified), Cardiovascular diseases (unspecified), Cathartics (unspecified), Constipation (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified), Epilepsy (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Flatulence (unspecified), Foodborne diseases (unspecified), Graves ophthalmopathy (unspecified), Headache (unspecified), Helminthiasis (unspecified), Hemorrhage (unspecified), Hepatomegaly (unspecified), Hiccup (unspecified), Jaundice (unspecified), Kidney diseases (unspecified), Laxatives (unspecified), Leprosy (unspecified), Liver diseases (unspecified), Pain (unspecified), Peripheral nervous system diseases (unspecified), Skin diseases (unspecified), Splenic diseases (unspecified), Stomach diseases (unspecified), Stomatitis (unspecified), Urinary bladder calculi (unspecified), Urination disorders (unspecified), Urologic diseases (unspecified), Wound healing (unspecified), Wounds and injuries (unspecified), Anti-infective agents (whole plant), Anti-inflammatory agents (whole plant), Antioxidants (whole plant), Arthritis (whole plant), Asthma (whole plant), Cardiotonic agents (whole plant), Dental caries (whole plant), Diabetes mellitus (whole plant), Diarrhea (whole plant), Dysentery (whole plant), Gastrointestinal motility (whole plant), Gout (whole plant), Heart diseases (whole plant), Hemorrhoids (whole plant), Hiccup (whole plant), Liver diseases (whole plant), Pharyngitis (whole plant), Radiation-protective agents (whole plant), Ulcer (whole plant), Urinary bladder diseases (whole plant), Vomiting (whole plant), Wound healing (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) 1
Optimum temperature (C°) 22 - 35
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Terminalia chebula habit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Terminalia chebula leaf picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Terminalia chebula leaf picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Terminalia chebula leaf picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Terminalia chebula fruit picture by Ian Shackle (cc-by-sa)
Terminalia chebula fruit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Terminalia chebula world distribution map, present in Bangladesh, China, Honduras, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Taiwan, Province of China, Viet Nam, and South Africa

Conservation status

Terminalia chebula threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:171037-1
WFO ID wfo-0000406875
COL ID 55G44
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Terminalia glandulipetiolata Myrobalanus chebula Myrobalanifera citrina Terminalia comintana Terminalia aruta Buceras chebula Bucida comintana Myrobalanus gangetica Terminalia acuta Terminalia gangetica Terminalia parviflora Terminalia reticulata Terminalia chebula var. chebula Terminalia chebula

Lower taxons

Terminalia chebula var. tomentella