Mathi Mara

Matti tree is one of the native trees in Kodagu . This is a hard-wooded tree Tribals such as ‘Jenu Kurubas’ and ‘Beta Kurubas,’ relied on the Matti tree for water, on account of its scarcity in the forest. Interestingly, they cut the bark of this tree and one or two litres of water would emerge from it, as if running from a pipe! It is also called the ‘Water Making Matti Tree’ due to this.It is a tree growing to 30 m tall, with a trunk diameter of 1 m. The fruit is ovoid, 3 cm long, with five wings not extending beyond the fruit apex

Kodava

Mathi Mara

English

crocodile bark

Kannada

Mathi Mara

Botanical Name 

Terminalia elliptica

Family 

Combretaceae

Uses

The wood is used for furniture.The leaves are used as food by silkworms which produce the tassar silk.The bark is used medicinally against diarrhoea. . The bark and especially the fruit yield pyrogallol and catechol to dye and tan leather.