Distribution and habitat: Moist deciduous forest and forest plantation. Native of the West Indies, now naturalized and found in many places in peninsular India. 

Botany:   Small branched woody shrub 2 m tall, branchlets pubescent.

• Leaves : Broadly elliptic or obovate, acuminate, four at a node; base acute, shortly pubescent; larger leaves 10x5 cm; small leaves 4x2 cm.
• Flowers : Small, cream white; cymes terminal and axillary, peduncle 2 cm long; calyx lobes short, orbicular, ciliate, corolla white, lobes ovate and obtuse.
• Fruit : Drupes, red, globular, connate to the top, 0.7 cm across.

Chemical constituents: The plant accumulates more of hydroxyl benzoic acid. Catechol was found in fresh seeds.

Uses: Combination of root and mustard oil is used as liniment in skin troubles. Bark extract is useful in chronic skin diseases (by ring worm). It is used as an adulterant to ‘Sarpagandha’.

Propagation: Seed