Fabaceae
Saraca

Saraca indica L.

First published in Mant. Pl.: 98 (1767)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Indo-China to W. Malesia. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Distribution

Native to:

Jawa, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam

Introduced into:

Andaman Is., Bangladesh, Caroline Is., DR Congo, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda

Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Berendsohn, W.G., Gruber, A.K. & Monterrosa Salomón, J. (2009). Nova silva cusatlantica. Árboles nativos e introduciados de El Salvador. Parte 1: Angiospermae - Familias A a L. Englera 29-1: 1-438.
  • Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.
  • Kumar, S. & Sane, P.V. (2003). Legumes of South Asia. A Checklist: 1-536. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. & Ford, C.S. (2004). Legumes of Malesia a Check-List: 1-295. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. & Heald, J. (1994). Legumes of Indo-China a check-list: 1-164. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa a check-List: 1-619. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Sanjappa, M., Pusalkar, P.K. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2024). Flora of India 6: 1-556. Botanical Survey of India.
  • Zhu, X.Y., Zhang, R.P. & He, Y.L. (eds.) (2021). An inventory of legume species diversity of Myanmar: 1-297. China Minzu university press.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.
  • Kumar, S. & Sane, P.V. (2003). Legumes of South Asia. A Checklist: 1-536. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. & Ford, C.S. (2004). Legumes of Malesia a Check-List: 1-295. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. & Heald, J. (1994). Legumes of Indo-China a check-list: 1-164. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Lock, J.M. (1989). Legumes of Africa a check-List: 1-619. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Kew Plants for Health

  • "World Checklist of Useful Pl. Spp. (Diazgranados et al., 2020)"
  • GRIN (USDA)
  • MPNS Import
  • US-FDA GSRS (2025)
  • WHODrug Herbal Substances 2025

International Legume Database and Information Service

  • Backer, C. A. (1963). Flora of Java. Groningen, The Netherlands
  • Brenan, J. P. M. (1967). Caesalp. In: Flora Trop. East Africa. Milne-Redhead & Polhill
  • Corner, E. J. H (1952). Wayside trees of Malaya (2nd ed.) Singapore.
  • Larsen, K. et al. (1984). Flora of Thailand, Vol 4 Part 1. In: T. Smithinand & K. Larsen
  • Polhill, R, M. (1990). Legumineuses. In: Flore des Mascareignes, Vol 80. J. Bosser et a
  • Robertson, S. A. (1989). Flowering Plants of Seychelles. Kew
  • Rudd, V. E. (1991). Flora of Ceylon 7: 34-107. Caesalpinioideae
  • Saxena, H. O. & Brahman, M. (1994). The Flora of Orissa (Ranunculaceae to Fabaceae)
  • Senaratna, L. K. (2001). A check list of the flowering plants of Sri Lanka. Colombo.

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Apr 9, 2009 Stone, B.C.; Chin, S.C. [15214] K000564576 Yes
Apr 9, 2009 Chin, S.C. [582] K000564575 Yes
Apr 9, 2009 Nee Leng Chan [s.n.] K000564574 Yes
May 1, 1976 Kerr, A.F.G. [12376] Thailand K000780031 Unknown Type Material Yes
K:SPC-28146.000 No
Syafiq, W.P.W.; Rafidah, A.R.; Nabila, R.S.; Imin, K.; Cheah, Y.H.;Hariul, M.A.M. [FRI 78984] Malaysia K001893224 No
Dr. King's Collector [2382] Malaysia K000780037 Unknown Type Material Yes
Lobb, T. [351] Burma K000780044 Type Yes
Dr. King's Collector [11059] Malaysia K000780038 Unknown Type Material Yes
Lobb, T. [351] Burma K000780045 Unknown Type Material Yes
Dr. King's Collector [8048] Malaysia K000780039 Unknown Type Material Yes

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • International Legume Database and Information Service

    • International Legume Database and Information Service (ILDIS) V10.39 Nov 2011
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images