White Dammar
Vateria indica
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
What it is like
A plant endemic to India and threatened by habitat loss, White Dammar or Vateria indica is a large, slow-growing, and evergreen tree reaching a height of about 40 m. The trunk is cylinder-shaped covered with light gray, smooth bark. The leaves are oval with a short point and red when young. The flowers are white, fragrant, and hand in drooping clusters. The fruit is a large and fleshy five-valved capsule.The seeds yield solid oil known as ?piney tallow? which can be used as food flavoring and as a ghee substitute. It can also be used as a fuel for lamps and in candlemaking.The bark is used to control fermentation when making alcoholic beverages. Resin from the bark is used as an incense in India and as an Ayurvedic medicine. The resin can be mixed with coconut oil and rolled into candles. It is also used for making imitation amber beads. The fruits and bark contain tannins. The wood is tough and hard and used for making canoes, vessel masts, and coffins.
Vateria indica is an evergreen Tree growing to 40 m (131ft) by 30 m (98ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 40
Where it is found
Found primarily as a canopy or emergent tree in the west coastal evergreen forests of India, it is also occasionally found in secondary evergreen dipterocarp forest in the south. Found at elevations up to 1,200 metres.
E. Asia - India.
Conservation Status: Status: Critically Endangered A1cd
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, India, Sri Lanka,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
The seeds contain up to 50% of a solid oil known as 'piney tallow'. This can be used for flavouring food and as a substitute or adulterant for ghee. The bark is used to control fermentation in when making alcoholic beverages such as arrack and toddy.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Oil: Oil
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The resin obtained from the tree has the same uses as pine resin. An oil obtained from the seeds is valued locally as an external application to relieve rheumatism. The bark is astringent.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating: 4
Other Uses A resin is obtained from the tree by incising the trunk. It is only slightly soluble in alcohol, but dissolves at once in turpentine and drying oils. Like copal, it is chiefly used for making varnishes. The resin can be mixed with coconut oil and rolled into candles (which burn with a dark, heavy smoke), and it is also used for making imitation amber beads. The resin is said to occur in three forms compact piney, cellular piney and dark-coloured piney resin. The names sufficiently indicate their respective characters, which are said to be due to the mode of collection and the age of the tree The seeds contain a large quantity of a solid oil known as 'piney tallow'. This can be used as a fuel for lamps and has been used to make candles. The candles burn well, but are too soft. The fruit contains 25% tannins. The bark contains tannins. The heartwood is light gray, the sapwood white with a tinge of red or grey. The wood is tough and hard. It is not in much request, but is sometimes utilised locally for making canoes, the masts of native vessels and coffins.
Beads: Used as necklaces etc.
Lighting: Plants that can be used as torches etc. See also Oil and Wax.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
Resin: Used in perfumery, medicines, paints, soap making etc. This also includes turpentine, which is extracted from many resins and used as a preservative, water proofer etc,
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Varnish: Plants that can be used as a varnish without any special treatment. Does not include varnishes made from oils etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
A tree of low to moderate elevations in the moist, monsoonal tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,200 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 33°c, but can tolerate 17 - 38°c. It can be killed by temperatures below 14°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 2,500 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 2,000 - 3,500mm. Succeeds in full sun and also, especially when young, in fairly dense shade. Prefers a light, fairly fertile, well-drained soil. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.9.
Propagating it: Seed -
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Piney varnish-tree, White dhup, Ajakarna, Safed damar, Kahruba, Chundrus, Guli, Telladamaru, Ral, Dhupadamaru, Vellei, Vellai-damar, Biladupa, Velleikuntricum, Pineymaram, Dhupmaram, Hoogadamara, Munda-dhupa, Saldhupa, Maddidhupa, Looguludhupa, Bilaguggala, Biladaamara, Vellakunturukkum, Payin, Peinimarum, Perumpiney, Payani, Veltha paini, Payia, Dammar, ajakar?a, chandras, dhupadamara, dupa, devdhupa, india cop tree, kungiliyam, karsya, mandadhupa, payin, raal, rala, safed damar, sandaras, sandras, saraja, sarja, sarja (exudate), sasyasumbara, sava, shakgachha, telladamaramu, tellaguggilarnu, vateria, vellai kundarakam, vellai kuntarakam, white damar tree, white dammar.
Synonyms
This name is unresolved.