Helicteres isora

Indian screw tree or Valampuri

• Also called Indian screw tree, East Indian screw tree, Nut-leaved screw tree
• Tamil Valampuri (வலம்புரி), Idampuri (இடம்புரி)
• Hindi Marorphali (मरोड़फली)
• Malayalam Edampiri valampiri (ഇടംപിരി വലംപിരി)
• Telugu Nulitada (నులితడ)
• Marathi Murudsheng (मुरुडशेंग)
• Kannada Kavargi (ಕವರ್ಗಿ)
• Sanskrit Avartani (आवर्तनी)

Large shrub or small tree

What it is

Helicteres isora is a large shrub or small tree of the mallow family, with grey bark and broad, rough, toothed leaves. Its brick-red flowers fade to a dull pale blue as they age. The fruit is its most striking feature: a hard pod twisted into a tight screw, which gives it the names screw tree and valampuri, meaning turning to the right. It grows wild in dry forests across India, South-East Asia and northern Australia.

What it's used for

• Its strong bark fibre has long been used for rope and sacking.
• The twisted pods are sold in herbal markets and used in Ayurveda and Siddha, where the bark, root and fruit are traditional remedies for stomach complaints such as diarrhoea.
• Its bright red flowers make it an attractive native shrub for gardens.

Where we plant it

Our partners plant the mix of native species that suits each site and season, so a gift plants trees in the project rather than this one species. Helicteres isora is one of the species planted there.

Read more about Helicteres isora on en.wikipedia.org