Hopea indica

Hopea indica
Leaves and buds
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
Genus: Hopea
Species:
H. indica
Binomial name
Hopea indica
(Raf.) R.Kr.Singh
Synonyms[2]

Hopea indica, commonly known as Malabar ironwood,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is a tree endemic to southwestern India.[2] It is called 'kampakam' or 'thampakam' in Malayalam and கோங்கு 'vellaikongu' or 'irubogam' in Tamil.[1]

It is a large emergent tree which grows up to 35 metres tall, with a bole up to 150 cm in diameter. The species flowers and fruits between November and May in some places and from in April to June in other places. It grows gregariously in evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous lowland moist forest below 900 metres elevation in the Malabar coastal plain and Western Ghats of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states. It prefers well-drained soils.[1]

The tree produces a beautiful timber and is commonly harvested from the wild, both for local use and for trade.[1]

The species was first described as Neisandra indica by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1838. In 2023 Rajeev Kumar Singh placed the species in genus Hopea as Hopea indica. Hopea parviflora is a synonym.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Barstow, M.; Deepu, S. (2018). "Hopea parviflora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T33021A115932625. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T33021A115932625.en. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Hopea indica (Raf.) R.Kr.Singh". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 March 2026.