Chhal Mogra is a beautiful, crooked, evergreen tree, native to the moist forests of NE India. It grows up to 30 m tall, and has an untidy branching habit. Alternately arranged leaves are oblong- elliptic, rarely ovate-oblong or obovate-oblong, 13-20 cm long, 5-10 cm wide, leathery. Pale yellow flowers are sweet scented, and arise directly from the bark, hence the name chhaal mogra (chhaal means bark and mogra is a generic name for jasmine). Flowers have five rounded petals, and a mass of long stamens at the center. The fruits are round, ash-colored, and when mature, and also arise straight from the corky stems. A crude oil is extracted from the fruit which is used in cooking and lighting purposes. The fruit itself is poisonous.