A small to fairly deciduous tree, up to 33 m tall, with a deeply fluted stem base; bark pale yellowish or pinikish-brown, spotted with paler greenish or greenish-yellow depressions, exfoliating in thin rounded flakes which leave shallow depressions. Leaves alternate or subopposite, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-ovate, obtuse, acute or retuse at apex, rounded to cordate at base, coriaceous, glabrous, reddish when they first appear and turning red before falling off. Flowers minute, greenish-yellow, borne solitary or in globose heads on short, pubescent, axillary peduncles. Fruits yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, shining, beaked winged, borne in globose clusters, 1-seeded; seed wedge shaped.

AgroForestryTree Database

Chebulagic acid, ellagic acid, ellagitannin, gallic acid, myricetin, procyanidin, quercetin, tannin.

Useful in diabetes, piles, anaemia, chronic diarrohea, polyuria,ear inflammation, leprosy and skin diseases.

Sharma PV, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.