Mallotus philippensis seeds grow into the kamala tree — a shrub or tree native to the wet tropical biome of an enormous range extending from the western Himalayas (Pakistan, Nepal) and the Indian subcontinent through all of tropical and subtropical Asia — Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines — east to northern and eastern Australia (Queensland and New South Wales), New Guinea and the Pacific islands. The epithet philippensis refers to the Philippine Islands where the type specimens were collected. The tree is named 'kamala' after the brilliant orange-red glandular powder that coats the fruit capsules — produced by dense, vivid rust-red glands — which has been harvested for millennia as one of the most important natural dyes for silk and wool in Asia, and as a traditional anthelmintic (worm-expelling) medicine. Family Euphorbiaceae.Full sun to partial shade; fast-growing; adaptable to a range of moist, well-drained tropical and subtropical soils; shrub to moderate tree. Brilliant orange-red glandular powder on fruit capsules — the 'kamala' dye; one of Asia's oldest natural dyestuffs Kamala also used as traditional anthelmintic medicine across the entire Asian range Tropical & Subtropical Asia to N. & E. Australia — wet tropical biome; one of the widest-ranging Asian Euphorbiaceae Epithet 'philippensis' = from the Philippines; shrub or tree to 15 m; Family Euphorbiaceae Full sun to partial shade; moist tropical soils; fast-growing; documented bioactive compounds Mallotus philippensis is the kamala tree — one of the most widely distributed and ethnobotanically significant shrubs and trees of tropical Asia and Australia, whose brilliant orange-red fruit powder has served as a major natural dye for silk and wool and as a traditional medicine across its enormous range from Pakistan to Queensland for thousands of years. IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.
