sim-eh-KAR-pus -- Greek: semeion (a sign, a mark); karpos (fruit) ... Auroville Virtual Herbarium
an-uh-KAR-dee-um -- a fruit's name of an Indian tree, applied to cashew by Linnaeus ... Dave's Botanary
commonly known as: dhobi nut tree, Indian marking nut tree, Malacca bean, marany nut, marking nut, marsh nut, Oriental cashew nut, varnish tree • Assamese: বৰ-ভোলা bar-bhola, ভলা bhala, ভল্লাতক bhallatak • Bengali: অহ্বলা ahbala, ভল্লাত bhallata, ভল্লাতক bhallataka, ভেলা bhela • Garo: babari, bareri, bol-agal • Gujarati: ભિલામો bhilamo, ભિલામું bhilamu, બિબ્બા bibba • Haryanvi: भिलवा bhilawa, घेरू gheru • Hindi: भेला bhela, भिलावां or भिलावन bhilawan, निर्दहन nir-dahan, पावक pawak, विषास्या vishasya • Kannada: ಗೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ gerkaayi, ಗೇರು geru, ಗೊಡ್ಡುಗೇರು goddageru, ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಗೇರು guddada geru, ಕೇರ ಮರ kera-mara • Karbi: barla-arong • Khasi: dieng-soh-bhala • Kokborok: vela • Kol: लोसो loso • Konkani: अंबेरी amberi, बिब्बा bibba, ಬಿಬ್ಬಯಿ bibbayi, बिबो bibo • Malayalam: അലക്കുചേര് alakkucheru, ചെങ്കുരു chenkuru, തേങ്കൊട്ട thenkotta • Marathi: भल्लातक bhallataka, भिल्लावा bhilava, बिबवा bibava, बिब्बा bibba, गोडंबी godambi • Mech: bhalo, bhaola, bhelawa • Mizo: kawh-tebel, vawmbalhnahhlai, vawmbal-pui • Nepali: भलायो bhalaayo • Odia: ଭାଲିଆ bhalia, ଦୁର୍ଦ୍ଧର durddhara, ଲଙ୍କା ଭାଲିଆ lanka bhalia, ପୃଥଗ୍ ବୀଜ pruthag-bija, ରକ୍ଷୋଘ୍ନ rakshoghna • Persian: بلادر baladur • Punjabi: ਭਿਲਾਵਾ bhilawa • Sanskrit: अग्निमुख agnimukha, अह्वला ahvala, अन्तःसत्त्वा antahasattva, अर्शोहित arshohita, आरुष्कर arushkara, भल्लातक bhallataka, भूतनाशन bhutanashana, बीजपादप bijapadapa, धनुर्वृक्ष dhanurvrksha, कृमिघ्न krmighna, कृष्णवर्त्मन् krshnavartman, क्षतकृत् kshatakrt, महातीक्ष्णा mahatikshna, निर्दहन nirdahana, पावक pavaka, पृथग्बीज prthagbija, रक्षोघ्न rakshoghna, शैलबीज shailabija, शोककर shokakara, शोफहृत् shophahrt, शोथहृत् shothahrt, स्फोटबीजक sphotabijaka, तैलबीज tailabija, तपन tapana, वह्निनामन् vahninaman, विरातक virataka, वीरवृक्ष viravrksha, विषास्या vishasya, व्रणकृत् vranakrt, वृषाङ्क vrshangka • Santali: ᱥᱳᱥᱳ soso • Tamil: சேங்கொட்டை cen-kottai, சோம்பலம் compalam, காலகம் kalakam, காவகா kavaka, கிட்டாக்கனிக்கொட்டை kitta-k-kani-k-kottai, தேம்பாறை temparai • Telugu: భల్లాటము bhallatamu, జీడిమామిడిచెట్టు jidimamidichettu, నల్ల జీడి nalla jeedi, తుమ్మెద మామిడి thummeda mamidi • Tulu: ಗೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ gerukaayi, ಕೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ kerukaayi, ತೇರೆದ ಮರ tereda mara • Urdu: بهلاوان or بهلاون bhilawan, نردهن nir-dahan, پاوك pawak
botanical names: Semecarpus anacardium L.f. ... homotypic synonyms: Cassuvium anacardium (L.f.) Kuntze ... accepted infraspecifics: Semecarpus anacardium var. anacardium ... heterotypic synonyms: Anacardium officinale Pritz. • Anacardium orientale Steud. • Anacardium semecarpus Buch.-Ham. ... and more at POWO, retrieved 10 January 2026
Bibliography / etymology
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about "where" could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.
~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
dhobi nut tree
- Flowers of India, retrieved January 10, 2026
- Auroville Virtual Herbarium
Indian marking nut tree, marsh nut, Oriental cashew nut
- Semalty M, Semalty A, Badola A, Joshi GP, Rawat MS. Semecarpus anacardium Linn.: A review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010 Jan;4(7):88-94. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.65328. PMID: 22228947; PMCID: PMC3249908.
Malacca bean, varnish tree
- Ayate, Dipika & Shedge, Swati & Dobhal, Sneha & Kukreti, Shweta & Kumar, Sooraj & Bai, Rani & Neenu,. (2025). A Review on Uses of Bhilwa (Semecarpus anacardium) in the Indian Context. Annual Research & Review in Biology. 40. 12-22. 10.9734/arrb/2025/v40i102316.
marany nut
- All About Marany Nut in Catherine Reddy's blog The Earth of India
marking nut
- Flowers of India, retrieved January 10, 2026
- Vikaspedia - Collaborative Knowledge Sharing Portal - Government of India initiative (powered by MEIT & C-DAC)
~~~~~ ASSAMESE ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (অসমীয়া) ... spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
বৰ-ভোলা bar-bhola
- name pervalent in Nowgong region (modern-day Nagaon) ... Flora of Assam Vol I (Part II) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, C Purkayastha
ভলা bhala, ভল্লাতক bhallatak
- XOBDO - Your gateway to multilingual knowledge and resources
- Flora of Assam Vol I (Part II) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, C Purkayastha
~~~~~ BENGALI ~~~~~
written in: Bengali (বাংলা) ... spoken in: West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
অহ্বলা ahbala
- Dasa, Jnanendramohana. Bangala bhashara abhidhana. Paribarttita o paribardhita 2. samskarana. Kalikata: Indiyan Pablisim Hausa, [bhumika 1937] 2 v.
ভল্লাত bhallata, ভল্লাতক bhallataka
- Biswas, Sailendra. Samsad Bengali-English dictionary. 3rd ed. Calcutta, Sahitya Samsad, 2000.
ভেলা bhela
- PRAIN, DAVID - BENGAL PLANTS - VOL. I
- Biswas, Sailendra. Samsada Bangala abhidhana. 7th ed. Calcutta, Sahitya Samsad, 2004.
- or ভালা bhala ... Dasa, Jnanendramohana. Bangala bhashara abhidhana. Paribarttita o paribardhita 2. samskarana. Kalikata: Indiyan Pablisim Hausa, [bhumika 1937] 2 v.
~~~~~ GARO ~~~~~
written in: Roman, Bengali-Assamese, A-Chik Tok'birim ... spoken in: Meghalaya, Assam
babari, bareri, bol-agal
- Flora of Assam Vol I (Part II) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, C Purkayastha
~~~~~ GUJARATI ~~~~~
written in: Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) ... spoken in: Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
ભિલામો bhilamo
- વનસ્પતીઓ ના ગુજરાતી તથા બોટનીકલ નામ ની યાદી (વૈધ કે.જે.ઝાલા)
- Biological Diversity of Gujarat - published by Gujarat Ecology Commission [accessed on: 16 Dec 2020]
ભિલામું bhilamu
- Amar Shri Ratilal P. Chandaria's Gujarati Lexicon - the most comprehensive Gujarati language resource
બિબ્બા bibba
- Biological Diversity of Gujarat - published by Gujarat Ecology Commission [accessed on: 16 Dec 2020]
~~~~~ HARYANVI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हरियाणवी or हरयाणवी) ... spoken in: Haryana, Delhi
भिलवा bhilawa, घेरू gheru
- Haryana Forest Flora - A Comprehensive Database of Ligneous Plants of Haryana (India)
~~~~~ HINDI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (हिन्दी) ... spoken in: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
भेला bhela
- Dasa, Syamasundara. Hindi sabdasagara. Navina samskarana. Kasi: Nagari Pracarini Sabha, 1965-1975.
- PRAIN, DAVID - BENGAL PLANTS - VOL. I
भिलावां or भिलावन bhilawan, निर्दहन nir-dahan, पावक pawak, विषास्या vishasya
- FRLHT's ENVIS Centre on Medicinal Plants
- Platts, John T. (John Thompson). A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English. London: W. H. Allen & Co., 1884.
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) ... spoken in: Karnataka
ಗೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ gerkaayi, ಕೇರ ಮರ kera-mara
- Five Hundred Indian Plants by Messrs. C. Stolz and G. Plebst, Basel Mission, Mangalore
ಗೇರು geru
- Alar - an authoritative Kannada-English dictionary corpus created by V. Krishna
ಗೊಡ್ಡುಗೇರು goddageru, ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಗೇರು guddada geru
- Subrahmanya, Prasad K - Exploration and elucidation of traditional medicinal plants of erstwhile Tulunadu and surrounding area of Kerala and Karnataka :: Chapter 4 :: Shodhganga - a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
~~~~~ KARBI ~~~~~
written in: Roman ... spoken in: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland ... other names for this language: Mikir or Arleng
barla-arong
- Flora of Assam Vol I (Part II) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, C Purkayastha
~~~~~ KHASI ~~~~~
written in: Latin (Khasi alphabet), Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Meghalaya, Assam
dieng-soh-bhala
- Flora of Assam Vol I (Part II) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, C Purkayastha
- Sawian, J.T. & Jeeva, Solomon & Lyndem, F.G. & Laloo, R.C.. (2007). Wild edible plants of Meghalaya, North-East India. Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources. 6. 410-426.
~~~~~ KOKBOROK ~~~~~
written in: Koloma, Latin, Bengali–Assamese (ককবরক), Kokmari ... spoken in: Tripura ... other names for this language: Tripuri, Kokbarak, Tippera, Tipra, Trippera
vela
- Majumdar, Koushik & Datta, B. (2013). Practice Pattern of Traditional Pharmaceutical Formulations by the Tribes of Tripura, Northeast India. Global Journal of Pharmacology. 7. 442-447.
~~~~~ KOL ~~~~~
written in: Warang Chiti (or Barang Kshiti, Varang Kshiti), Devanagari ... spoken in: Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal ... spoken by: Kol people
लोसो loso
- PRAIN, DAVID - BENGAL PLANTS - VOL. I
~~~~~ KONKANI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (कोंकणी) / Kannada (ಕೊಂಕಣಿ) / Malayalam (കൊങ്കണി) / Perso-Arabic (کونکنی) / Romi (Konknni) ... spoken in: Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat
अंबेरी amberi, बिब्बा bibba
- Biodiversity in Goa - Flora of Goa (n.d., Original Page Inactive)
ಬಿಬ್ಬಯಿ bibbayi
- Five Hundred Indian Plants by Messrs. C. Stolz and G. Plebst, Basel Mission, Mangalore
बिबो bibo
- Dalgado, Daniel Gelanio. Flora de Goa e Savantvadi: catalogo methodico das plantas medicinaes, alimentares e industriaes. Portugal, Imprensa Nacional, 1898.
- V D Vartak (1966) - Enumeration of plants from Gomantak India with a note on botanical excursions to the Castlerock area :: Chapter 5 :: Shodhganga :: a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
written in: Malayalam (മലയാളം) ... spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep
അലക്കുചേര് alakkucheru, തേങ്കൊട്ട thenkotta
- വിക്കിപീഡിയ - സ്വതന്ത്രസർവ്വവിജ്ഞാനകോശം ... Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
ചെങ്കുരു chenkuru
- Many thanks to Sam Kuzhalanattu for help with the name ... eFloraofIndia
- बॆरकॆ अट्टिल् निघंट् - changing the way in which Tuluvas consume their food
~~~~~ MARATHI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (मराठी) ... spoken in: Maharashtra, Karnataka
भल्लातक bhallataka, भिल्लावा bhilava (or भिलावा bhilava), बिबवा bibava, बिब्बा bibba (or बिब्बी bibbi / बिबा biba / बिबी bibi), गोडंबी godambi
- Molesworth, J. T. (James Thomas). A dictionary, Marathi and English. 2d ed., rev. and enl. Bombay: Printed for government at the Bombay Education Society's press, 1857.
~~~~~ MECH ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari, Roman ... spoken by: Mech people (Bodos of north West Bengal)
bhalo, bhaola, bhelawa
- Flora of Assam Vol I (Part II) by U N Kanjilal, P C Kanjilal, A Das, C Purkayastha
~~~~~ MIZO ~~~~~
written in: Latin, Bengali-Assamese ... spoken in: Mizoram ... other names for this language: Lushai, Duhlian
kawh-tebel
- Kar, An & Bora, Devanjal & Borthakur, Sashin & Goswami, N & Saharia, Daizi. (2013). WILD EDIBLE PLANT RESOURCES USED BY THE MIZOS OF MIZORAM, INDIA. KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY. 9. 106-126. [Accessed 15/11/2021 (dd/mm/yyyy)]
vawmbalhnahhlai
- ENVIS :: Biological Diversity In Mizoram [Accessed 18/08/2022 (dd/mm/yyyy)]
vawmbal-pui
- List of Ethno-medicinal plants in Mizoram state with uses - State Medicinal Plants Board - Mizoram
~~~~~ NEPALI ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (नेपाली) ... spoken in: Nepal, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim
भलायो bhalaayo
- Many thanks to Saroj Kumar Kasaju for help with this name ... eFloraofIndia
~~~~~ ODIA ~~~~~
written in: Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ) ... spoken in: Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
ଭାଲିଆ bhalia, ଦୁର୍ଦ୍ଧର durddhara, ଲଙ୍କା ଭାଲିଆ lanka bhalia, ପୃଥଗ୍ ବୀଜ pruthag-bija, ରକ୍ଷୋଘ୍ନ rakshoghna
- Praharaj, G.C. Pūrṇṇachandra Orḍiā bhāshākosha: a lexicon of the Oriya language. Cuttack: Utkal Sahitya Press, 1931-1940.
~~~~~ PERSIAN ~~~~~
written in: Farsi (فارسی) ... almost a defunct language; spoken in: West Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Bihar
بلادر baladur
- Platts, John T. (John Thompson). A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English. London: W. H. Allen & Co., 1884.
~~~~~ PUNJABI ~~~~~
written in: Gurmukhi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) ... spoken in: Punjab
ਭਿਲਾਵਾ bhilawa
- Singh, Maya. The Panjabi dictionary. Lahore: Munshi Gulab Singh & Sons, 1895.
~~~~~ SANSKRIT ~~~~~
written in: Devanagari (संस्कृतम्) ... used all over India by priests and scholars
अग्निमुख agnimukha (or अग्निमुखी agnimukhi), अह्वला ahvala, अन्तःसत्त्वा antahasattva, अर्शोहित arshohita, आरुष्कर arushkara, भल्लातक bhallataka (or भल्लात bhallata / भल्ली bhalli / भल्लिका bhallika), भूतनाशन bhutanashana, बीजपादप bijapadapa, धनुर्वृक्ष dhanurvrksha (or धनु dhanu), कृमिघ्न krmighna, कृष्णवर्त्मन् krshnavartman, क्षतकृत् kshatakrt, महातीक्ष्णा mahatikshna, निर्दहन nirdahana, पावक pavaka, पृथग्बीज prthagbija, रक्षोघ्न rakshoghna, शैलबीज shailabija, शोककर shokakara, शोफहृत् shophahrt, शोथहृत् shothahrt (or शोथकृत् shothakrt), स्फोटबीजक sphotabijaka (or स्फोटहेतुक sphotahetuka / स्फोटकर sphotakara), तैलबीज tailabija, तपन tapana, वह्निनामन् vahninaman, विरातक virataka, वीरवृक्ष viravrksha, विषास्या vishasya, व्रणकृत् vranakrt, वृषाङ्क vrshangka
- Learn Sanskrit - पठत संस्कृतम् - शब्दकोशः
~~~~~ SANTALI ~~~~~
written in: Ol Chiki (ᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤ), Bengali (সাঁওতালী), Odia (ସାନ୍ତାଳୀ), Devanagari (सान्ताली), Roman ... spoken in: Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha
ᱥᱳᱥᱳ soso
- ᱣᱤᱠᱤᱯᱤᱰᱤᱭᱟ - ᱢᱤᱫ ᱨᱟᱲᱟ ᱜᱮᱭᱟᱱ ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ... Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
- PRAIN, DAVID - BENGAL PLANTS - VOL. I
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) ... spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
சேங்கொட்டை cen-kottai, சோம்பலம் compalam, காவகா kavaka, கிட்டாக்கனிக்கொட்டை kitta-k-kani-k-kottai, தேம்பாறை temparai
- University of Madras. Tamil lexicon. [Madras], University of Madras, 1924-1936.
காலகம் kalakam
- Winslow, Miron. A comprehensive Tamil and English dictionary of high and low Tamil. Madras: P.R. Hunt, 1862.
~~~~~ TELUGU ~~~~~
written in: Telugu ( తెలుగు) ... spoken in: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry
భల్లాటము bhallatamu, జీడిమామిడిచెట్టు jidimamidichettu
- Flora Andhrika - Plant Wealth of Andhra Pradesh, India
- Brown, Charles Philip. A Telugu-English dictionary. 2nd ed. Madras: Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1903.
నల్ల జీడి nalla jeedi, తుమ్మెద మామిడి thummeda mamidi
- Flora Andhrika - Plant Wealth of Andhra Pradesh, India
- FRLHT's ENVIS Centre on Medicinal Plants
~~~~~ TULU ~~~~~
written in: Tigalari (Tulu) was used for writing Vedic texts in Sanskrit, Kannada (ತುಳು), Malayalam (തുളു) ... spoken in: Karnataka, north Kerala
ಗೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ gerukaayi
- Subrahmanya, Prasad K - Exploration and elucidation of traditional medicinal plants of erstwhile Tulunadu and surrounding area of Kerala and Karnataka :: Chapter 4 :: Shodhganga - a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
- Five Hundred Indian Plants by Messrs. C. Stolz and G. Plebst, Basel Mission, Mangalore
ಕೇರ್ಕಾಯಿ kerukaayi
- Subrahmanya, Prasad K - Exploration and elucidation of traditional medicinal plants of erstwhile Tulunadu and surrounding area of Kerala and Karnataka :: Chapter 4 :: Shodhganga - a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
ತೇರೆದ ಮರ tereda mara
- Five Hundred Indian Plants by Messrs. C. Stolz and G. Plebst, Basel Mission, Mangalore
- Männer, A - Tulu-English and English-Tulu dictionary - Mangalore, Basel Mission Press (1886-8)
~~~~~ URDU ~~~~~
written in: Urdu (اردو) ... spoken in: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka
بهلاوان or بهلاون bhilawan, نردهن nir-dahan, پاوك pawak
- Platts, John T. (John Thompson). A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English. London: W. H. Allen & Co., 1884.
~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal
- Hassler, Michael (1994 - 2025): World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 25.12; last update Dec. 21st, 2025. Last accessed 10/01/2026 (dd/mm/yyyy).
- Goa :: V D Vartak (1966) - Enumeration of plants from Gomantak India with a note on botanical excursions to the Castlerock area :: Chapter 5 :: Shodhganga :: a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET
- Tripura :: Majumdar, Koushik & Datta, B. (2013). Practice Pattern of Traditional Pharmaceutical Formulations by the Tribes of Tripura, Northeast India. Global Journal of Pharmacology. 7. 442-447.
- Uttarakhand :: Rathiesh, P., Ajeet Kumar Negi and Dinesh Singh 2019. Effect of Seed Size on Germination of Semecarpus anacardium (Marking Nut) in Garhwal Himalaya. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci. 8(9): 2590-2596.
~~~~~
Created on: 15:03 10-01-2026 ¦ Last updated: 16:43 14-01-2026 (DD-MM-YYYY)
~~~~~
