Details Top

Internal ID UUID64400f2a234d3684606281
Scientific name Canarium strictum
Authority Roxb.
First published in Fl. Ind. ed. 1832 , 3: 138 (1832)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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Important notice
  • Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
  • Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
  • Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
  • Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Among tribal communities in the Western Ghats (especially Kani and allied peoples), resin from Canarium strictum is used medicinally. Kani healers have long employed the gum as a bitter resinous tea—sometimes with jaggery—to relieve coughs and bronchial irritation (Bennet, 1987). They also burn it as incense to clear congestion during colds (Udayan, 2011). In adjacent districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, local healers combine the resin in a hot-water decoction with turmeric powder and black pepper for coughs and as an anti-inflammatory liniment (Kirtikar & Basu, 1935). Moving north, the Newar communities of Nepal traditionally dissolve Canarium resin (often identified locally as a Burseraceae “dammar” or “kaṭur”) in hot water as a warm drink for throat soreness and as a skin-healing poultice applied to wounds and bruises (Manandhar, 2002).

Practical recipe: mild decoction for cough relief. To make a gentle throat-soothing tea, dissolve about 1–2 g of clean resin in a cup (250 mL) of hot (near‑boiling) water and let it sit, covered, for 10–15 minutes. Stir until the resin softens, then sip slowly. Avoid exceeding 2–3 g per day; ingestion during pregnancy is not recommended. Alternatively, a skin poultice can be prepared by warming 3–4 g of resin in a few teaspoons of warm water to a spreadable paste and applying it to clean skin for 10–15 minutes, then washing off. Test a small skin area first.

Active constituents associated with these uses are well established for Canarium species. The gum contains triterpenoid resin acids (notably α‑ and β‑boswellic acids) and essential oils with aromatic constituents such as α‑phellandrene, limonene, and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. These constituents account for the resin’s anti‑inflammatory and antimicrobial actions and the aromatic properties that aid airway relief (Kumar et al., 2017).

Modern relevance: Today the resin is still gathered in the Western Ghats for incense and occasional home remedies, while laboratory studies on Canarium gum oils continue to support its traditional roles in respiratory comfort and skin care (Kumar et al., 2017; Udayan, 2011; Manandhar, 2002).

General Uses Top

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Common products:
- Resin (oleoresin) known in Indian trade as “Indian dammar” or “black dammar,” typically supplied as a hard, brittle, pale yellow to brownish solid suitable for spirit varnishes and related applications.

Industrial and craft applications:
- Source of dammar gum for high-grade spirit (alcohol-based) varnishes; the gum dissolves in ethanol or turpentine and yields clear, hard films used for protective coating of wood and craft substrates.
- Match-head compositions; the resin is used as a binder and fuel component in match manufacture.
- Incense and aromatics; the resin is burned directly or used in incense blends.
- Research model for resin biosynthesis; investigated for dammarane-type triterpenoids and resin composition, contributing to biochemical understanding of Burseraceae resin formation.

Colorants and tanning:
- Historical small-scale use of dammar resins as colorants is not well documented for this taxon.

Wood and fiber:
- Timber from this species is not documented as a major commercial product; wood uses are not a recognized category for C. strictum resin trade.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
- The resin’s mild terpenoid aroma supports non-medicinal incense use; however, dammar gum is not commonly documented in mainstream cosmetics or perfumery.

Properties relevant to use:
- Ethanol/turpentine solubility characteristic of dammar resins enables spirit-varnish formulation.
- Film-forming behavior yields hard, clear films suitable for protective/coating applications.
- Combustibility and binding properties are pertinent to match-head uses.
- Chemical profile includes dammarane-type triterpenes that underpin solubility and film behavior.

Standards and regulation:
- Indian resin trade practices historically described; modern specification standards (e.g., ISO/ASTM/EN) are not established for this product. Match safety and quality are subject to national standards in some jurisdictions.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Resin is tapped from living trees; sustainable practices include selective tapping and avoidance of overexploitation to maintain tree vigor.
- Historical trade documented in India (e.g., Bengal), with resin flowing from forest areas to larger market centers.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Rumphia amboinensis L. Sp. Pl. 2: 1193. 1753 [1 May 1753]
Pimela stricta Blume Mus. Bot. 1: 226 (1850)
Rumphia tiliifolia Poir. Encycl. [J. Lamarck & al.] 6(1): 352 (1804)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English black damar
Kannada ಕಾಯಿಧೂಪ
Malayalam തെള്ളിമരം
Marathi राळ
Chinese 乌榄
Chinese 滇榄
Chinese 漾短
Chinese 漾蕊
Chinese 滇欖

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Asia-tropical
    • Indian Subcontinent
      • Assam
      • East Himalaya
      • India
    • Indo-China
      • Myanmar
      • Thailand

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000583750
USDA Plants CAST46
Tropicos 50127491
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:127527-1
The Plant List kew-2696089
Open Tree Of Life 721340
NCBI Taxonomy 300212
IPNI 127527-1
iNaturalist 898158
GBIF 5421349
Freebase /m/0yt3h2p
EOL 483470
USDA GRIN 310569
Wikipedia Canarium_strictum
CMAUP NPO7077

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
The presence of wild edible plants and determinants influencing their harvest, consumption, and conservation in south eastern Bhutan Bajgai RC, Bajgai Y, Johnson SB PLoS One 10-Oct-2023
PMCID:PMC10564141
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285936
PMID:37816046
Integrating traditional ecological knowledge into habitat restoration: implications for meeting forest restoration challenges Haq SM, Pieroni A, Bussmann RW, Abd-ElGawad AM, El-Ansary HO J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 10-Aug-2023
PMCID:PMC10413632
doi:10.1186/s13002-023-00606-3
PMID:37559120
A multivariate and quantitative assessment of medicinal plants used by the indigenous Malayali tribes in the Javadhu hills of Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, India Silambarasan R, Sasidharan S, Nair J H, Kumar S N, R A, Nair AS, Selavinayagam KT Heliyon 18-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10256831
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15607
PMID:37305490
Do carbon stocks and floristic diversity of tropical homegardens vary along an elevational gradient and based on holding size in central Kerala, India? Kumar BM Agrofor Syst 07-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10081327
doi:10.1007/s10457-023-00821-7
PMID:37193256
Wildlife habitat mapping using Sentinel-2 imagery of Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India Ahmad A, Kanagaraj R, Gopi GV Heliyon 20-Feb-2023
PMCID:PMC10009465
doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13799
PMID:36923836
Indigenous knowledge: From local to global: This article belongs to Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Biodiversity Conservation Gadgil M, Berkes F, Folke C Ambio 10-Feb-2021
PMCID:PMC8035379
doi:10.1007/s13280-020-01478-7
PMID:33566330
Wild edible plants collected by Hani from terraced rice paddy agroecosystem in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan, China Luo B, Liu B, Zhang H, Zhang H, Li X, Ma L, Wang Y, Bai Y, Zhang X, Li J, Yang J, Long C J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 27-Nov-2019
PMCID:PMC6882008
doi:10.1186/s13002-019-0336-x
PMID:31775804
Pharmacological, ethnopharmacological, and botanical evaluation of subtropical medicinal plants of Lower Kheng region in Bhutan Wangchuk P, Yeshi K, Jamphel K Integr Med Res 01-Sep-2017
PMCID:PMC5741394
doi:10.1016/j.imr.2017.08.002
PMID:29296564
Response of a tropical tree to non-timber forest products harvest and reduction in habitat size Gaoue OG, Kouagou M, Natta AK, Gado C PLoS One 29-Aug-2017
PMCID:PMC5574575
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0183964
PMID:28850624
Edible wild mushrooms of the Western Ghats: Data on the ethnic knowledge Karun NC, Sridhar KR Data Brief 27-Jul-2017
PMCID:PMC5547233
doi:10.1016/j.dib.2017.07.067
PMID:28795109
Ethnomedicinal assessment of Irula tribes of Walayar valley of Southern Western Ghats, India Venkatachalapathi A, Sangeeth T, Ali MA, Tamilselvi SS, Paulsamy S, Al-Hemaidc FM Saudi J Biol Sci 19-Oct-2016
PMCID:PMC5936975
doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.10.011
PMID:29740242
Critical Analysis of Forest Degradation in the Southern Eastern Ghats of India: Comparison of Satellite Imagery and Soil Quality Index Ramachandran A, Radhapriya P, Jayakumar S, Dhanya P, Geetha R PLoS One 26-Jan-2016
PMCID:PMC4727793
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147541
PMID:26812397
Contributions of medicinal plants to the Gross National Happiness and Biodiscovery in Bhutan Wangchuk P, Tobgay T J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 03-Jun-2015
PMCID:PMC4469394
doi:10.1186/s13002-015-0035-1
PMID:26037080
Reduced Hornbill Abundance Associated with Low Seed Arrival and Altered Recruitment in a Hunted and Logged Tropical Forest Naniwadekar R, Shukla U, Isvaran K, Datta A PLoS One 17-Mar-2015
PMCID:PMC4363152
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120062
PMID:25781944
To move or to evolve: contrasting patterns of intercontinental connectivity and climatic niche evolution in “Terebinthaceae” (Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae) Weeks A, Zapata F, Pell SK, Daly DC, Mitchell JD, Fine PV Front Genet 28-Nov-2014
PMCID:PMC4247111
doi:10.3389/fgene.2014.00409
PMID:25506354

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives
(S)-Mandelonitrile 439767 Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C#N)O 133.15 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Branched fatty acids / Methyl-branched fatty acids
(R)-2-Methylbutanoic acid 6950479 Click to see CCC(C)C(=O)O 102.13 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Long-chain fatty acids
Eicosanoic Acid 10467 Click to see 312.50 unknown via CMAUP database
Myristic Acid 11005 Click to see 228.37 unknown via CMAUP database
Palmitoleic Acid 445638 Click to see CCCCCCC=CCCCCCCCC(=O)O 254.41 unknown via CMAUP database
Stearic Acid 5281 Click to see 284.50 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols
2-Hexen-1-OL 5318042 Click to see CCCC=CCO 100.16 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Lineolic acids and derivatives
Linoleic Acid 5280450 Click to see CCCCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC(=O)O 280.40 unknown via CMAUP database
Linolenic Acid 5280934 Click to see 278.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids
Citral 638011 Click to see 152.23 unknown via CMAUP database
Linalool, (-)- 443158 Click to see CC(=CCCC(C)(C=C)O)C 154.25 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids
P-Cymene 7463 Click to see 134.22 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids
(+)-alpha-Terpineol 442501 Click to see 154.25 unknown via CMAUP database
Terpinolene 11463 Click to see 136.23 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids
I2-Ionone 638014 Click to see 192.30 unknown via CMAUP database
Vomifoliol, (+)- 5280462 Click to see 224.30 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Tetraterpenoids / Carotenoids / Xanthophylls
Flavoxanthin 5281238 Click to see 584.90 unknown via CMAUP database
Rubixanthin 5281252 Click to see 552.90 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids
Alpha-Amyrin 73170 Click to see 426.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9543-3
alpha-Amyrin acetate 92842 Click to see 468.80 unknown via CMAUP database
Beta-Amyrin 73145 Click to see CC1(CCC2(CCC3(C(=CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C)C2C1)C)C)C 426.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9543-3
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Estrane steroids / Estrogens and derivatives
(8S,9S,13S,14R)-3-hydroxy-13-methyl-7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16-octahydro-6H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-one 670995 Click to see CC12CCC3C(C1CCC2=O)CCC4=C3C=CC(=C4)O 270.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives
17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol 86821 Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C 414.70 unknown https://doi.org/10.1007/S10600-010-9543-3
Poriferasterol 5281330 Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C 412.70 unknown via CMAUP database
Stigmasteryl-beta-d-glucopyranoside 12895774 Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C 574.80 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Tricarboxylic acids and derivatives
2-(Carboxymethyl)-2-hydroxybutanedioate;hydron 88113319 Click to see [H+].[H+].C(C(=O)O)C(CC(=O)[O-])(C(=O)[O-])O 192.12 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glucuronides / O-glucuronides
beta-D-GlcpA-(1->6)-beta-D-Galp 70680285 Click to see C(C1C(C(C(C(O1)O)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)C(=O)O)O)O)O 356.28 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Cyanogenic glycosides
Amygdalin 656516 Click to see 457.40 unknown via CMAUP database
Neoamygdalin 441462 Click to see 457.40 unknown via CMAUP database
Prunasin 119033 Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C#N)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O 295.29 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Aldehydes / Medium-chain aldehydes
2-Nonenal 5283335 Click to see CCCCCCC=CC=O 140.22 unknown via CMAUP database
2,4-Decadienal 5283349 Click to see 152.23 unknown via CMAUP database
Hexanal 6184 Click to see 100.16 unknown via CMAUP database
trans-2-Hexenal 5281168 Click to see 98.14 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Lactones / Gamma butyrolactones
(5S)-5-butyloxolan-2-one 7057972 Click to see CCCCC1CCC(=O)O1 142.20 unknown via CMAUP database
(R)-gamma-Decalactone 183870 Click to see 170.25 unknown via CMAUP database
Gamma-dodecalactone, (R)- 10888889 Click to see 198.30 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Tetrahydrofurans
Linalool oxide, cis- 6428573 Click to see 170.25 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Biflavonoids and polyflavonoids
(1S,5R,6S,13R,21S)-5,13-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,12,14-trioxapentacyclo[11.7.1.02,11.03,8.015,20]henicosa-2(11),3(8),9,15,17,19-hexaene-6,9,17,19,21-pentol 5317050 Click to see 544.50 unknown via CMAUP database
(1S,5S,6R,13R,21S)-5,13-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,12,14-trioxapentacyclo[11.7.1.02,11.03,8.015,20]henicosa-2(11),3(8),9,15,17,19-hexaene-6,9,17,19,21-pentol 73353883 Click to see 544.50 unknown via CMAUP database
(1S,5S,6S,13R,21S)-5,13-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,12,14-trioxapentacyclo[11.7.1.02,11.03,8.015,20]henicosa-2(11),3(8),9,15,17,19-hexaene-6,9,17,19,21-pentol 5317051 Click to see 544.50 unknown via CMAUP database
[(1S,5R,6R,13R,21S)-6,9,17,19-tetrahydroxy-5,13-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,12,14-trioxapentacyclo[11.7.1.02,11.03,8.015,20]henicosa-2(11),3(8),9,15,17,19-hexaen-21-yl] 4-hydroxybenzoate 10723070 Click to see 664.60 unknown via CMAUP database
Mahuannin A 5317052 Click to see 544.50 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols
Kaempferol 5280863 Click to see 286.24 unknown via CMAUP database
Quercetin 5280343 Click to see 302.23 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides
Isoquercetin 5280804 Click to see 464.40 unknown via CMAUP database
Rutin 5280805 Click to see 610.50 unknown via CMAUP database

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