Pigeon Wood / Charcoal Tree

Trema orientalis

Bengali: Chikun/Jilan

A small to medium sized fast growing, short-lived, evergreen tree, leaves elongated, heart-shaped a short leafstalk, wider near base and slowly tapering to a pointed tip, toothed and rough.

Bark: Thin, greyish brown

Leaf: 2-6’’, elongated heart shaped with narrow tip, margins toothed, rough above and often silvery white below.

Flowers: Minute, whitish, near the base of leafstalks

Fruit: Very small, black, near the base of leafstalks

Season: Flowers are found from December to April and again during September and October.

Range/habitat: Throughout the damper portion of India, including Bengal. They are often among the first species to colonize an open patch of land. Over the years they are outcompeted by taller, more long living species (e.g. Kadamb, Semul). So, they can be called as pioneer species in ecological succession.

Trivia and notes: Being economically useless and having no religious connection, they are usually overlooked and probably even considered as a weed and almost never planted. But this tree acts as a magnet for the birds, especially the fruit eating ones and thus helps seed dispersal.

Where to Find: In Kolkata it is very common (always self-sown). There is a small “forest” of pure strand opposite science city (at the edge of the park maintained by P C Chandra group)