Canarium strictum - Black Dhoop

Black Dhoop is a large tree with a spherical crown, having a clean bole of 30-35 meters in length. Leaves are compound, imparipinnate, alternate, spiral, clustered at twig ends, axis is ferruginous velvet-hairy; leaflets 3-9 pair with odd one at tip, increasing in size towards tip; leaflet-stalk is 0.3-0.7 cm long, Leaflets are 5-15 x 2.5-7 cm, usually oblong, sometimes ovate, tip tapering, base asymmetric-rounded; margin sawtoothed or minutely toothed, leathery, rusty woolly or velvet-hairy beneath and hairless above; secondary nerves are strong with 11-18 pairs; tertiary nerves are weakly percurrent. Flowers are bisexual or polygamous, in shortly branched in leaf-axil panicles, about 1 cm long, yellow to dull white, shortly stalked and mildly fragrant. Male flowers about 7 mm, female flowers about 9 mm. Petals below nearly hairless to densely woolly. Stamens hairless; filaments fused for 1/4-3/4 of length; anthers tapering. Sepal-cup is nearly hairless or rusty woolly below, with short blunt sepals, about 4 mm in male flowers, about 5.5 mm in female. Fruits are 2.5-5.0 cm long, pointed at ends, mesocarp fleshy, stone hard, aromatic and seeds trigonous, usually 3-celled with three seeds. The resin of the tree is used in making incense sticks. Black Dhoop is native to S. India, Sikkim to China (S. Yunnan) and N. Thailand. Flowering: February-April.
Medicinal uses: Warning: Unverified information

The species is rich sources for Sambrani which is used to cure various bronchial ailments. The resin powder is given orally to cure rheumatism, fever, cough, asthma, epilepsy, chronic skin disorders, syphilis, and hernia and also helps to improve complexion. Five grams of powdered stem resin is burnt and the smoke is inhaled (vapour bath) at the time of headache. This practice relieves cold when it is administrated for two times a day for three to four days.