Bastard Myrobalan

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Bastard Myrobalan
• Beach Almond
• Bedda Nut Tree
• Beleric Myrobalan
• Belleric Myrabolan
• beach-almond
• belleric
• belleric myrobalan

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Myrobalanus punctata
• Myrobalanus bellirica
• Terminalia attenuata
• Terminalia gella
• Terminalia bellirica var. laurinoides
• Myrobalanus taria
• Terminalia taria
• Myrobalanus tania
• Terminalia punctata
• Terminalia eglandulosa
• Terminalia laurinoides
• Buceras bellirica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Myrtales, it is classified under the family Combretaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus name, Terminalia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across several distinct regions. In the Western Indian Ocean, it can be found growing in both Mauritius and Rodrigues. Its presence extends to East Asia, specifically within the South-Central regions of China. Within the Indian Subcontinent, the species is naturally distributed in Assam. Additionally, the plant is documented to inhabit the territories of Bangladesh.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Terminalia bellirica is characterized by its ability to thrive across a diverse altitudinal gradient, typically occurring within an elevational range that spans from a minimum of 200 m AMSL to a maximum of 1400 m AMSL. This broad distribution allows the species to inhabit various forest types, ranging from tropical moist deciduous forests to drier subtropical zones, depending on the specific local moisture and soil availability. It is well-adapted to seasonal climates, often favoring well-drained soils and areas with moderate rainfall, where it plays a significant role in the forest canopy structure and nutrient cycling within its ecological niche.

Elevational range max:

1400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

200 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Terminalia bellirica is characterized by its existence as a perennial species, ensuring a long-term presence within its natural ecosystem. As a phanerophyte, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated woody branches, a growth form that allows it to compete effectively for light in forest canopies. Its seasonal development is marked by a deciduous nature, meaning it undergoes a period of leaf shedding, typically in response to seasonal changes or dry periods, before regenerating new foliage. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle, a phanerophyte life form, and deciduous foliage dictates its rhythmic pattern of growth, dormancy, and renewal.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Terminalia bellirica is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree, which is capable of reaching significant proportions. It typically stands at a mean height of 35 m, with height ranges extending up to a maximum of 25 m depending on environmental conditions. As a terrestrial species, it occupies land-based habitats rather than aquatic or semiaquatic environments. The plant is strictly self-supporting, exhibiting neither climbing nor liana-like tendencies, and it functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

25 m

Plant height mean:

35 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Terminalia bellirica is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency within its natural environment. The structural integrity and biomass composition of the plant are reflected in its stem specific density (SSD), which maintains a mean value of 546 mg/cm³. Furthermore, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the uptake of available nitrogen from the soil rather than symbiotic nitrogen-fixing mechanisms.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Stem specific density (SSD) mean:

546 mg/cm³

Reproduction

The reproduction of Terminalia bellirica is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by insects, which ensures the successful fertilization of its flowers. The resulting fruit is classified as a fleshy drupe, which remains indehiscent upon maturity. These fruits serve as the vehicle for seed dispersal via a zoochorous syndrome, where animals play a critical role in moving the seeds to new locations. The seeds themselves exhibit significant variation in physical dimensions; they possess a mean mass of approximately 2.6255625 g, with individual seed weights ranging from a minimum of 0.3145 g to a maximum of 3.5461 g. Furthermore, the seed volume is highly consistent in its recorded data, maintaining a mean, minimum, and maximum value of 3700 mm³.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit type :

drupe

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

3.5461 g

Seed mass mean:

2.6255625 g

Seed mass min:

0.3145 g

Seed volume max:

3700 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Terminalia bellirica has 3 reported plant parts identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf, stem.

Fruit

1. Journal of chromatographic science
2. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin
3. PeerJ
4. Infectious disorders drug targets
5. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Leaf

1. PeerJ
2. SpringerPlus
3. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology

Stem

1. SpringerPlus

Chemicals

Terminalia bellirica has 74 reported phytochemicals identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Gallic acid, ellagic acid, Chebulagic acid, Corilagin, Chebulinic acid.

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of chromatography. A

ellagic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal of chromatography. A

Chebulagic acid

1. Journal of chromatographic science
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. PeerJ
4. Journal of chromatography. A
5. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Corilagin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. PeerJ
4. Journal of chromatography. A
5. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Chebulinic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Journal of chromatography. A

Chebulic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

ETHYL GALLATE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

METHYL GALLATE

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Microorganisms

Tannins

1. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Termilignan

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products

Activities

Terminalia bellirica has 244 reported activities identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antimalarial, Antimutagenic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. PeerJ
3. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Microorganisms

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Microorganisms

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmaceutical biology
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Antimalarial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products
3. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology

Antimutagenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Teratogenesis, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis
3. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer

Antispasmodic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Drugs under experimental and clinical research

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. PeerJ
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Antifungal

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Journal of natural products

Antihistaminic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Drugs under experimental and clinical research

Medicinal Uses

Terminalia bellirica has 52 reported medicinal uses identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include oxidative stress, HIV-1, asthma, inflammation, Aeromonas hydrophila.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations