Agroforestree Database

Local names:
 Arabic (Brasilia), Bengali (bangla-badam), Burmese (badan), Creole (zanmande), Dutch (wilde amandel,amandel boom), English (false kamani,Malay almond,myrobalan,Indian almond tree,Barbados almond,bastard almond,Bengal almond,sea almond,Singapore almond,st

Terminalia catappa is a tall deciduous and  erect tree reaching 15-25 m, trunk 1-1.5 m in diameter, often buttressed at the base. Whorls of nearly horizontal, slightly ascending branches spaced 1-2 m apart in tiers, or storeys, up the trunk. The pagoda-like habit becomes less noticeable as the branches elongate and droop at the tips. Bark grey-brown, rough with age. 

Leaves alternate obovate with short petioles, spirally clustered at the branch tips, 15-36 cm long, 8-24 cm wide, dark green above, paler beneath, leathery and glossy. They turn bright scarlet, dark red, dark purplish-red, or yellow. 

Flowers slightly fetid, greenish-white, very small, with no petals but 10-12 conspicuous stamens, arranged in several slender spikes 15-25 cm long in the leaf axils. The majority of the flowers are male and borne towards the apex, while a few hermaphroditic ones appear below. Some spikes have only male flowers.

Fruit hard, to 7 cm, green-red, rounded and flattened, egg-shaped, with 2 ridges but no wings, 2.5 x 3-6 cm long, yellow or reddish when ripe. The cylindrical, oil-containing seeds are encased in a tough, fibrous husk within a fleshy pericarp. There are about 24 fresh fruits and 160 nuts per kg.

The generic name comes from the Latin ‘terminalis’ (ending) and refers to the habit of the leaves being crowded at the ends of the shoots.

Ecology

A conspicuous semi-deciduous tree of coastal areas throughout the warm tropics. Grows best in moist tropical climates. The tree is well adapted to sandy and rocky coasts and flourishes on oolitic limestone.

The species loses its leaves twice a year in most areas, with a brilliant red-and-yellow display of leaf colour before doing so. Leaf loss helps it tolerate 1 or 2 annual dry seasons when it occurs. Although Indian almond does grow when planted on uplands, the natural habitat of the species is in areas just inland from ocean beaches, near river mouths, and on coastal plains. These areas are typically flat, but they may have dunes or rocky bluffs.

Native range
Australia, Cambodia, India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam

Tree management

Before planting, fertilizer should be applied to poor soils. Although the seedlings develop slowly at first, growth soon accelerates. Weeding is necessary for a few months after planting, but there is soon sufficient cover to shade out competition. It will coppice as a seedling or sapling, but the species is not a strong sprouter. The species is known to form natural root grafts and has natural pruning characteristics.

Orthodox seed storage behaviour; seeds remain viable for a long time and germinate readily, even after floating in water for long distances. There are 150-860 seeds/kg.

A conspicuous semi-deciduous tree of coastal areas throughout the warm tropics. Grows best in moist tropical climates. The tree is well adapted to sandy and rocky coasts and flourishes on oolitic limestone.

The species loses its leaves twice a year in most areas, with a brilliant red-and-yellow display of leaf colour before doing so. Leaf loss helps it tolerate 1 or 2 annual dry seasons when it occurs. Although Indian almond does grow when planted on uplands, the natural habitat of the species is in areas just inland from ocean beaches, near river mouths, and on coastal plains. These areas are typically flat, but they may have dunes or rocky bluffs.

Seeds for planting are generally gathered beneath mature trees. A suggested pretreatment is soaking seed in cold water for 24 hours. Germination of the seeds is epigeous. About 70% of ripe seed germinate in about 20 days. Artificial regeneration using nursery seedlings is more reliable. Seeds should be set 25 x 25 cm apart in nursery beds. Transplanting to the field is done during the next rainy season.

Terminalia catappa is tolerant of drought and salt spray and is a promising species for reforestation of sandy areas.

Erosion control: The tree’s vast root system binds together both sands and poor soils.

 The kernel can be eaten raw or roasted and has an almondlike taste. Sun-dried kernels yield 34-54% of a bland, yellow, semi-drying oil that is edible but becomes turbid on standing. The oil is mainly used in cooking. The flesh of the fruit is also edible but is often fibrous and not very tasty in spite of the pleasant smell.

Fodder: The foliage is used as a feed for silkworms and other animal feeds.

Timber: The tree provides a red, good-quality, elastic, cross-grained timber that seasons well and works easily. Density of the wood is 450-720 kg/m³ at 12% mc. It is strong and pliable and is used for the construction of buildings, boats, bridges, floors, boxes, crates, planks, carts, wheelbarrows, barrels and water troughs. 

Shade or shelter: In leaf all the year round, the tree casts a heavy shade that is useful in gardens, school grounds or urban areas. 

Tannin or dyestuff: Bark, leaves, roots and fruit are all important sources of tannin with the astringent bark containing 9-23% tannin. The outer shell is also rich in tannin. The trunk is a source of yellow and black dye; it is used in leather preparation and as a base for inks; sometimes the roots and fruits are used for the same purposes.

Lipids: The kernel contains an extractable edible oil used for cooking.

Medicine: Parts of the tree, such as the leaves and fruit, are astringent. The leaves, crushed with Dacrydium elatum and rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus, are combined to treat dysentery. The red leaves act as a vermifuge, while the sap of young leaves, cooked with oil from the kernel, is used to treat leprosy. Leaves may be rubbed on breasts to cure pain or, when heated, may be applied to numb parts of the body. They may be used as a dressing for swollen rheumatic joints. Leaves, bark and fruit are used to treat yaws. The bark and root bark are useful for bilious fever, diarrhoea, thrush, and as a remedy for sores and abscesses. The kernel of the fruit mixed with beeswax stops putrid exudation and bloody faeces. It is recommended as a mild laxative and a galactagogue for women, but too frequent use causes diarrhoea. The young leaves are used to cure headaches and colic.

Gum or resin: The trunk is a source of gum. 

Ornamental: Its distinctive pagoda-like shape, the handsome red colour of the leaves before they are shed, and its fast growth (often in excess of 1 m/year) make the tree valuable as an ornamental species. Planted at low elevations in tropical countries throughout the world because it is both hardy and attractive. 

Soil improver: A good provider of mulch for the protection of soil and young crops. 

Other services: Planting of this tree can help eradicate Imperata cylindrica and other unwanted grasses.