Terminalia chebula

• Botanical Name : Terminalia chebula Retz.
• Common Name : Harde, Chebulic Myrobalan
• Plant Family : Combretaceae
• Plant Form : Tree
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park, Van Chetana Kendra

About Terminalia chebula Plant :

• Habit : A small tree.
• Leaves : Alternate, elliptic-oblong, acute, penninerved, base rounded, petioles often with 2 glands near their apex.
• Inflorescence : Terminal spikes.
• Flowers :
  • Bracteoles exceeding the flowers, linear, acute.
  • Calyx campanulate, teeth 5.
  • Petals 0.
  • Stamens 10, episepalous, biseriate.
  • Ovary inferior, 1-celled, ovules 2-3, pendulous.
• Fruit :
  • Drupes ellipsoid or obovoid, stone oblong, bony.
  • Seed exalbuminous.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : April - June
• Significance :
  • The fruits are used for tanning, ink and a good yellow dye.
  • They are tonic, anntidysentric, ripe fruits are purgative and purifies the blood and good in ophthalmia.
  • Together with Behda and Amla - the three make the tonic known as Triphala Churan.