Tamarindus indica

Floral Description

According to Flora of Pakistan

• A large evergreen tree. Stipules linear, caducous. 
• Leaves 3.5-15 cm long, paripinnate. 
• Leaflets 10-20 pairs, opposite, 1.2-1.8 cm long, c. 3.7-5 mm wide, oblong, obtuse.
•  Inflorescence 10-15 flowered lax raceme. 
• Pedicel 8-10 mm. Calyx c. 1.2 cm long, tube turbinate, teeth lanceolate, the lowest two connate. 
• Petals 3, 1-1.5 cm long, pale yellow, with red veins, the two lower reduced to scales.
•  Stamens monadelphous, 3 perfect, others reduced to bristles. Pods 7.5-20 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide, slightly compressed, indehiscent. 
• Seeds dark brown or black  

 According to Flora of China

• Trees, 10-15(-25) m tall. Trunk 30-50(-90) cm d.b.h. Bark dark ashy, irregularly longitudinally splitting. 
• Leaflets ob­long, small, 1.3-2.8 cm × 5-9 mm, glabrous, base obliquely rounded, apex rounded or emarginate. 
• Flowers few, yellowish tinged with purplish red stripes; peduncles and pedicels yel­lowish green puberulent; bracteoles 2, ca. 1 cm, enclosing flow­er bud before anthesis. 
• Calyx tube ca. 7 mm; lobes lanceolate-oblong, ca. 1.2 cm, reflexed after anthesis. Petals obovate, sub­equal to calyx lobes, margin repand, curled.
• Stamens 1.2-1.5 cm, pubescent near base, free parts of filaments ca. 7 mm; an­thers elliptic, ca. 2.5 mm.
• Ovary slightly incurved, terete, ca. 8 mm, hairy. 
• Legume brownish, straight or arcuate, terete-oblong, turgid, 5-14 cm, often irregularly constricted. 
• Seeds 3-14, brownish, shiny. 

Pharmacological Properties

Antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, laxative, astringent, antischistosomal. Flower paste applied externally for eye troubles. Fresh leaves poultice applied over scabies and inflammation; leaves decoction given for bodyache and dysentery; leaves aqueous extract taken in cholera; rhizome juice of Curcuma longa with leaf juice of Tamarindus indica given in smallpox. Fruit used for relieving fever and constipation, and as an antiscorbutic; an antidote for hemp (bhang) intoxication and also to Hydnocarpus anthelminthica; fruit pulp infusion given for dysentery; fruit pulp ground with tobacco applied on injuries caused by animals and bears; boiled fruit extract eaten as a porridge to increase lactation in mothers; stem bark of Anogeissus leiocarpa together with fruits of Tamarindus indica boiled together and taken for the treatment of jaundice. Root decoction taken for coughs and fevers; roots and bark for wound healing, Herpes simplex infection. Fresh stem bark with stem bark of Ficus religiosa ground in fresh water and taken with one teaspoonful of honey to cure menorrhagia; stem barks of Ficus virens, Ficus benghalensis, Dalbergia sissoo, Mangifera indica and Tamarindus indica boiled and the extract given to cure leucorrhea; stem bark ash mixed with coconut oil and applied to boils; bark for stomachache; bark extract taken orally for diarrhea and dysentery. Root bark abortifacient, dried and ground into fine powder, mixed with hot water and administered internally. A drink from some twigs of Sterculia africana and leaves of Tamarindus indica a remedy for diarrhea. Paste of seeds applied to treat wounds and boils, also useful for scorpion bite; seed anthelmintic, mild astringent, a treatment for dysentery and chronic diarrhea; poultice of Solanum surattense with kernel of Tamarindus indica applied on male organ in sexual weakness. Used in religion and magico-religious beliefs, plant meant for the construction of God’s temple, so wood not recommended to be used as a housing material. Veterinary medicine, ripe fruit given to cattle to stop diarrhea; boiled fruit pulp applied in bruises, sprains, contusions; ground fruit applied on maggot wounds; crushed leaves applied on sprains.)

Common Names

in English: Indian date, Indian tamarind, tamarind, tamarind tree

in Arabic: tamr hindi

in Benin: diagpi, djevivi, mossosso, pisikle, poussouka

in Burkina Faso: bou pougoubou, diami, domi, feri-go, n’jabbi, n’jami, n’tomi, ntomi, pousga, puaga, pusaga, pusga, tombi

in Burundi: umushishi

in Central African Republic: lende, m’bere, polo, wasa, zende, zinde

in Comoros: mhajou, maniya nihajou

in Congo: tomi

in East Africa: mkwaju, moja, mukoge

in Ethiopia: homar, homorra, ragai, ragay, roka, roqa

in Guinea: dia be, dyabbhe, dyabbhe, tombe, tombi, ton’be, toumbingui

in Ivory Coast: bosaie, boupouguibou, diko, haa, kassama, koussanga, ntomi, poule, pousiga, samanga, tsamia, tombi, tomi, toumbi, toumi

in Kenya: aron, arwa, chwa, chwaa, epeduru, hamar, kikwasu, kithumula, kumukhubwe, kumukhuwa, mkwadju, mkwaju, morhoqa, msisi, mukai, muthithi, muthithu, ngwasu, nthumula, nzumula, ochwa, ochwaa, oloisijoi, oron, rahkai, roge, rogei, roka, roqa, ukwaju

in Madagascar: dilo, diro, fampivalanana, kili, kily, madilo, madiro, monte, tamarinier, voamadilo, voamatory

in Mali: kataanga, n’tomi, omogon, omolo, omulu, somee, tombi

in Niger: bochocho, bosey, djammi, tamsugwu, tsamia, tsamiya

in Nigeria: ajagbon, ezi, icheko-oyinbo, mbulla, tamsugu, tsamiya, udeguegor; ajagbon, tsamia, tsamiya (Hausa); jatami (Fula); tamsugu (Kanuri); tamr hindi (Shuwa Arabic); darachi (Nupe); ajagbon (Yoruba); icheku oyibo (Igbo)

in Senegal: bufalat, dabe, dabe, dadmi, dahar, dakhar, dam, dami, diami, diamni, djabbi, djammi, ntomi, tombi, tsamia, tsamyia, tumi

in Sierra Leone: an thombi, sour tumbla, tombei

in Somalia: raqay

in Southern Africa: muSeka, muSika (Shona)

in Sudan: karale, n’tomi, tomi, toumbion

in Tanzania: bushishi, kirarahe, kitune, kwazu, lusisi, mapohora, masamburai, mdai, mithingiti, mkakyi, mkwadzu, mkwaju, mkwazu, mkwedu, mkwesu, mnyali, moja, mosinko, moya, mshishi, msisa, msisi, mukwaju, munyali, nshishi, nsisi, olmasambrai, olmasumoei, oloisijoi, samburai, ukwezu

in W. Africa: diko, djammi, djevivi, domi, tombi, tsamia

in Mexico: pachuhuk, tamarindo

in Burma: magyee, majee-pen

in Cambodia: ‘am’pul, ampil, khoua me

in China: suan dou, suan jiao, an mi lo

in India: abdika, ambia, ambli, amilam, amla, amlam, amlavrasksha, amli, amlica, amlika, anbli, atyamba, bhukta, chaf, charitra, chinch, chincha, chinchika, chinta,

chinta-pandu, chintz, chuk yamadutika, chukrika, chukru, cinca, cincha, cincini, dantashatha, gurupatra, hunase, hunasehannu, hunisay, imbli, imli, kayan, koinya, magi, maha-siyambala, mang-ge, mio, panktipatra, pichhila, puli, pulimaram, puliyam-palam, puliyam-pazham, puliyan, sarvamla, shakachukrika, siyambala, siyambula, siyembela, suchakrika, sukta, sutintidi, tamar-i-hind, tantali-araung, teng-te-re, tengtere, tentali, tentary, tentel, tentrani, tentul, tentuli, thentuli, tintidi, tindidika, tintidika, tintil, tintili, tintilivija, tintiri, tintrani, tintrini, tintuli, tittidi, tittidika, umblee, unise, vrksamla

in Indonesia: asam, asam jawa, tambaring

in Japan: tama-rindo

in Laos: khaam, mak kham

in Malaysia: asam, asam jawa, chelagi

in Nepal: imali, imli, tate amilo, titari

in Philippines: asam, kalamagi, kambalagi, salamagi, salomagi, salomangue, salumagi, salunagi, sambag, sambagi, sambak, sambalagi, sampalok, tamarindo

in Thailand: am pain, am-pian, bakham, kham, ma-khaam, ma-kham, maak kaeng, makham, mong khlong, mot le, saa mo kle, somkham, ta luup, ta-lup

in Tibet: bse yab, bse-yab

in Vietnam: me, trai me

in Pacific: kamalindo