White dammar (Vateria indica)

Vateria indica, white dammar or vellai kungiliyam, is a large evergreen tree of the Western Ghats whose wounded bark yields a pale, fragrant resin called Indian copal or piney resin. Its seeds give a solid fat once sold as Malabar tallow. Overexploitation and forest loss have made it critically endangered in the wild, even though it is planted along roads in Kerala and Karnataka.

Botanical name: Vateria indica L.
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
Tamil: Vellai kungiliyam
Hindi: Safed damar
Parts used: Resin (historical; wild-dug trade is a conservation problem)
Habit: Western Ghats dipterocarp; endangered
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise White dammar

It is a tall tree with a dense, rounded crown and long, glossy, leathery leaves.

Fragrant white flowers come in large sprays at the branch tips.

The fruit is a large, egg-shaped capsule with a single seed, held by small persistent sepals. Unlike most dipterocarps it has no long wings.

Cut bark exudes a clear to whitish resin that hardens into pale lumps, the white counterpart to the black dammar of Canarium strictum.

Traditional use of White dammar

Temple and craft

The resin is burnt as incense and used in varnishes, lacquers and as a caulking material.

Western Ghats and Kerala practice

Seed fat

Seed fat, known as piney tallow or Malabar tallow, was used to make candles and soap.

Kerala trade history

Modern notes on White dammar

It is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List because of past logging, resin and seed collection, and the loss of lowland evergreen forest.

Chemists have studied the resin and seed fat as industrial raw materials, but heavy wild harvest is not sustainable.

White dammar safety

Do not swallow the resin.

Ecology and sourcing

It is endemic to the Western Ghats, growing in low-elevation evergreen forest, often near streams.

Roadside plantings help keep the species alive, but the remaining wild populations in intact forest matter most for its long-term survival.

Related plants

Also in Dipterocarpaceae

Questions about White dammar

Is White dammar black dammar?

No. Black dammar is Canarium strictum.

Is White dammar really endangered?

Yes. It is assessed as critically endangered in the wild.

What is piney tallow?

The solid fat from its seeds, once used for candles and soap.

Sources

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.