Peea, (Kharwar) ; Tarop, (Santal) ; Charu, char, chara, charo, (Uriya) ; Achâr, châr, char-ka-jhar, chironji (the fruit), char-ka- gond (the gum), (C.P.) ; Sârâka, surraka, herka, char-ka-gadh (the gum), (Gond) ; Taro, tarope, (Kurku) ; Sir, (Bhil) ; Châr-ki- châroli (the kernel), (Duk) ; Piyal, châroli, châr, biji, (Bomb.) ; Charwari, (Hyderabad); Char, chironji (the fruit), (Behar) ; Mowda or katimango, marum, kat maâ, aima, kâtma-maram (the plant), kâtma-payam or katma param (the fruit), katma- parpu (the kernel), (Tam.) ; Chara, sara, charu madudi, chiuna mora, morli morlu-banka, morlu-chettu, châra-chettu, châru- chettu, or sârachettu. châra-mâmidi, jârumâmidi (the plant), châra- pandu (the fruit), châra-puppu, charu-puppu (the kernel), (Tel); Nuskul, murkalu, murukalu, (Kan.) ; Kâla maram, (Mala); Châroli, (Guj., Cutch) ; Pyâl-char, (Mar.); Lonepho, lunbo, lamboben, lombo or lonpo, loneopomâa, (Burm.)
Habitat: — A tree leafless only for a very short time. Found in the Sub-Himalayan tract from the Sutlej eastward, ascending to 2,000 feet ; throughout India and Burma, common in the hotter and drier parts of the empire, and frequently associated with the sâl, the mahûa, and the dâk.
A middle-sized tree, leafless only for a short time, attaining 50ft. Bark 1 in. thick, dark grey, sometimes nearly black, rough, tessallated, with regular " boss "-like prominence. Wood greyish brown, moderately hard, with a small, dark- coloured heart-wood (Gamble). Leaves 6-10in., very coriaceous or hard, nerves prominent, 15-20 pair, stout or nearly straight, usually broadly oblong, rounded at the tip, closely reticulate, softly hairy beneath. Petiole ¼-⅓ in., stout, pubescent. Panicles terminal and axillary, tomentose, shorter than the leaves ; pyramidal branches stout, bracts small, caducous. Flowers crowded, sessile, greenish white, ¼in. diam. Calyx 5-toothed, petals oblong. Disk fleshy. Stamens 10, spreading as long as the petals. Drupe black, ½in., subglobose, slightly compressed, edible. Stones hard, bony, 2-valved. Seed oily, edible, pleasant to taste when fresh, soon gets rancid on keeping.
Parts used : — The fruit, seed, gum, roots, leaves.
Uses : — By Hindu writers the fruit is said to be sweet and
