THE ADDITIONAL PRINCIPAL CHIEF

CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS

(RESEARCH, EDUCATION & TRAINING)

MAHARASHTRA (PUNE)

PRIORITISED PLANTS BROCHURE

Neolamarkia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser

(Kadamb)
Name and taxonomy:

Scientific name : Neolamarkia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser

Synonym: Anthocephalus cadamba Roxb.

Family: Rubiaceae

Common Name: Kadam, Kadamb

Threat status: Common

Habit: Kadamb (Neolamarkia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser) is a

large sized tree with a broad crown and straight
cylindrical bole. The tree: may reach a height of 45 m
with trunk diameters of 100-160 cm. The tree sometimes
has small buttresses and a broad crown. Its branches
are almost perpendicular to main stem.

The bark is gray, smooth in young trees, but rough and

longitudinally fissured in old trees. Leaves glossy green,
opposite, simple more or less sessile to petiolate, ovate
to elliptical (15-50 cm x 8-25 cm).

The tree is a light demander. However the saplings

require protection from the hot sun. It is sensitive to
frost, drought, excessive moisture and grazing.

Distribution, Habitat and Neolamarkia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser is an early-

Climatic conditions: succession species which grows best on deep, moist,
alluvial sites, often in secondary forests along riverbanks
and in the transitional zone between swampy,
permanently flooded and periodically flooded areas.

Native range of Kadamba is Australia, China, India,

Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Singapore and Vietnam.

In Maharashtra it is widely distributed over central plains

of Marathwada, dry deciduous forests of Vidarbha and
Western Maharashtra, and moist deciduous forests of
Konkan.

A clonal seed orchard has been established in

Vinayakrao Patil’s farm at Nasik and research week has
now started raising saplings in nurseries.

Uses and Economic returns: Neolamarkia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser is suitable for
reforestation programmes.
 The fruit and inflorescences are reportedly edible.

The fresh leaves are fed to cattle.

The fragrant orange flowers attract Honey-bees as

pollinators. Bats also roost on this tree and eat its fruit.

Timber: Sapwood of Kadamb is white with a light yellow

tinge becoming creamy yellow on exposure; not clearly
differentiable from the heartwood. The wood has a
density of 290-560 kg/cu m at 15% moisture content.
The wood can be easily impregnated with synthetic
resins to increase its density and compressive strength.
It is easy to work with hand and machine tools, cuts
cleanly, gives a very good surface and is easy to nail.
However, the wood is rated as non-durable. Kadamb
wood is very easy to preserve using either open tank or
pressure-vacuum systems.

The timber is used for plywood, light construction, pulp

and paper, boxes and crates, dug-out canoes, and
furniture components.

Kadamb yields a pulp of satisfactory brightness and

performance as a hand sheet.

Shade or shelter: The tree is grown along avenues,

roadsides and villages for shade.

Tannin or dyestuff: A yellow dye can be obtained from

the root bark.

Medicine: The dried bark is used to relieve fever and as

a tonic. An extract of the leaves serves as a mouth
gargle.

Essential oil: Kadamb flowers are an important raw

material used for the production of Indian perfumes with
sandalwood base.

Intercropping: Suitable for agroforestry practices.

Flowering: Inflorescence in clusters; terminal globose heads

without bracteoles, sub-sessile fragrant, orange or
yellow flowers. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, calyx tube
funnel-shaped, corolla gamopetalous saucer-shaped
with a narrow tube, the narrow lobes imbricate in bud.
Stamens 5, inserted on the corolla tube, filaments short,
anthers basifixed. Ovary inferior, bi-locular, sometimes
 4-locular in the upper part, style exserted and a spindle-
shaped stigma.

Orange flower balls are seen in August to October.

Seed collection : Fruitlets numerous with their upper parts containing 4

hollow or solid structures. Seeds are minute, trigonal or
irregularly shaped. They measure about 9,00,000 -
27,00,000 seeds/kg.

Manual collection or hand picking in the seasons Jan-

Collection method:
Feb and Sept- Oct.

Seed extraction: Fruits heaped for 3-4 days. Washed and dipped in
water. Settled seeds are collected. Successful extraction
of seed from ripe fruits involves air drying, crushing, and
sieving through a No. 35 US Standard sieve to separate
seed from chaff. This procedure improves seed purity up
to 98%, and yields success in germination.

Dry chambers and small polythene packs.

Seed storage:
Dip sieved seeds in 2% Hydrochloric acid solution for 24
Seed treatment:
hours and then sow in the trays filled with fine sand and
humus rich soil in the ratio 80:20. Place a glass or
polythene sheet above the tray to maintain the
temperature and humidity.

Alternatively feed the seeds to hens and collect their

droppings and sow.

Nursery techniques / Seeds broadcasted in raised beds @ 130 gm/sq. m.,

propagation watered well timely. Germination fairly good about 70 %.
The epigeous germination begins in about 10-14 days in
the rainy season. Pricked out in polythene bags. 2-
month seedlings can be transplanted in nursery beds or
into polythene bags, where they can be retained before
planting at the start of the monsoon rains. The 5000
p.p.m. IBA (Indole Butyric Acid) applied for rooting and
survival in air layering experiments of Kadamba. The
tree coppices well, hence regeneration can be obtained
by coppicing also.

Silviculture / Planting Kadamb can be raised by planting out nursery raised

techniques: seedlings. Planting of bare root nursery stock also gives
good results. Direct sowing is not recommended. To
ensure successful establishment, seedlings should be
planted out with their balls of earth. The suggested pit
size is 60cm x 60cm x 60cm. Espacement of 3.5 m x 3.5
 m is recommended. This will give better girth in shorter
duration.

Harvesting / Extraction: The growth of kadamb is usually fast for the first 6-8
years. At the age of 10-15 years the trees can be felled.

Special thing to mention: The tree is highly regarded religiously and culturally in
India being sacred to the Lord Krishna. Radha and
Krishna conducted their love play in the hospitable and
sweet-scented shade of the Kadamba tree.

The Grama Paddhati, a Kannada work dealing with the

history of the Tulu Brahmins, narrates a story that
after Parshurama created the Haiga and Tulu
countries, Shiva and Parvati came to Sahyadri and there
a child was born to the divine couple. Since the birth
took place under a Kadamba tree, the child was named
Kadamba, and was placed in charge of the Sahyadri
region. The word Kadamba lends its name to
the Kadamba Dynasty which ruled from Banavasi in
what is now the state of Karnataka from 345 AD to 525
AD. The Kadamba tree was considered a holy tree by
the Kadamba dynasty. Kadambotsava ("The festival of
Kadamba") is also the festival that is celebrated every
year by the Government of Karnataka in honour of the
Kadamba kingdom.