Manjanathi is Morinda pubescens — the dry-country Morinda whose roots dyed cotton. Older plaques say Morinda coreia or M. tinctoria. Kew keeps M. pubescens. Tamil nuna is also used for Noni (M. citrifolia). Check which tree is meant.
- Botanical name
- Morinda pubescens Sm.
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Tamil
- Manjanathi
- Hindi
- Aal
- Sanskrit
- Añcana
- Parts used
- Root bark, Wood, Fruit in some lists
- Habit
- Dry-country tree; the article in older trade is a yellow-red root dye
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Manjanathi
Smith published Morinda pubescens. The family is Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or small tree of open dry ground: opposite, often hairy leaves, white flowers in heads, and a smaller compound fruit than the coastal noni.
A twiggy dry-lot crown and a dye story are the public mark. A large, odorous, pitted coastal fruit is M. citrifolia.
Tamil manjanathi / manjanatti, Hindi aal / ach (in dye districts) and older English Indian mulberry (wrongly shared) are the names. Nuna is the collision.
POWO treats M. coreia Buch.-Ham. and M. tinctoria Roxb. as synonyms of M. pubescens.
Look for a dry-country tree, or ask which district a root came from. “Aal dye” powder is weaker.
Leaves are usually smaller and more pubescent than coastal noni. Hair on the leaf is a hint, not a law.
Fruit is a smaller syncarp and less of a juice article. Children may still eat it. That does not make it noni.
Root bark is yellow to red in the vat. That craft is why the tree was kept. Felling a bund tree for a bottle is a different sentence.
White flower heads sit like other Morinda.
The tree holds a dry bund better than a salt hedge. Habitat is a useful first sort.
Young shoots may be hairy. A fully glossy, large-leaved coastal shrub is a reason to open the noni page.
Traditional use of Manjanathi
Textile craft
Root bark as a dye is the honest historical use. The red comes from anthraquinones in the root bark, fixed on cotton with an alum mordant.
South Indian dye practice
Household lists
Manjanathi appears in Tamil tree lists. Filing is not a juice claim and not a determination for every nuna.
Household headings
Modern notes on Manjanathi
Synthetic dyes retired most of the vat. Papers on extracts exist and do not turn a bund tree into a bottle.
Manjanathi safety
Handling the tree and cloth dyed with it is ordinary. Do not give root decoctions to children.
Ecology and sourcing
It is a dry-country tree that also holds a bund. Root harvest can kill the plant. Honesty is a named standing tree, not a pulled stump.
Related plants
Also in Rubiaceae
Questions about Manjanathi
Is Morinda coreia a different tree?
No. Kew treats M. coreia and M. tinctoria as synonyms of M. pubescens.
What is the Tamil name of Morinda pubescens?
Manjanathi. Nuna is also heard, and that word also means noni. Check which tree is meant.
Is Manjanathi the juice plant?
No. The juice plant is Morinda citrifolia. This is the dry-country dye tree.
Sources
- Morinda pubescens Sm. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q80697619 (Morinda pubescens)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.