''Dialium ovoideum'' is a tropical species of plant in the family
Fabaceae
Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,[International Code of Nomen ...](_blank)
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. The
Sinhala (
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
) name ගල් සියඹලා (gal siyambala) means "pebble tamarind" (ගල්: pebble-like/stone-like/hard).
The Tamil name பட்டு புளியம் பழம் means "silky tamarind" which is named after the silky texture of the shell of the fruit. (பட்டு: velvet).
References
The Plant ListJSTOR.orgAyurvedic plants
ovoideum
Flora of Sri Lanka
{{Fabaceae-stub