Botany
A tree growing to a height of 4 to 10 meters, with the branchlets, young leaves and inflorescence covered with brown hairs. Leaves are alternate, oblong-ovate, with a pointed tip and rounded base, 7 to 16 cm long, with toothed or entire margins. Upper surface of the leaf what two smooth glands; the lower surface, glaucous and hairy with numerous, scattered crimson glands. Male flowers are numerous, 3 mm in diameter, axillary, solitary or fasicled spikes, 5 to 8 cm long. Female flowers are in solitary racemes. Fruit is spherical, 6 to 8 mm in diameters, densely covered with red or crimson powder, with three cells, each containing a dark grey, rounded seed that is flattened on one side.

Distribution
In thickets and secondary forests at low altitudes.

Constituents
Extract of kamala from the glands and hairs yielded a resin, a wax, and the crystalline compound rottlerin.
Kamala also contains a minute amount of essential oil, which when gently warmed emits a peculiar odor.
The principle constituent, rottlerin, is from the kamala resin.
The seed contains a fixed oil, camul oil and a bitter glucoside.
Kamala is antihelminthic, vermifuge, and purgative.

Constituents
Rottlerin (reddish-yellow resin), 47-80%; fixed oil, 5.83-24%; citric acid; mallotoxin; kamalin.

Parts used and preparation
Leaves, bark and seeds.

Uses
Folkloric
Fungal skin infections: Pound leaves or seeds and apply on affected areas.
The red glands of the fruit is antiherpetic and antihelminthic.
Poulticed leaves and bark used for skin diseases; poulticed seeds used for wound healing.
Others
Kamala, the powder obtained from the glands and hairs, besides its medicinal properties, is valued as a dye.

Availability
Wild-crafted.