Tropical almond (Terminalia catappa): A holistic review

Terminalia catappa L. known as tropical almond, has a global distribution. Further, it is a popular choice for avenue planting in the tropics including India. In India, more than 20 species of the genus Terminalia are reported and grown for its multipurpose uses. However, T. catappa is an untapped as well as underutilized nut-yielding tree, despite having comparable nutritive value to Almonds but with lower yield. The propagation of the tree is typically done with seeds and there is lack of documented tree breeding and improvement initiative with regard to this species. In this review, we summarize the available information on the ecological and economic utility of this tree reported across the world. There are numerous studies on this species detailing its uses as an avenue tree, medicinally important plant, small timber tree, biosorbent and other uses. The tree is also reported as a good choice for agroforestry owing to its unique features including its salinity tolerance and canopy architecture. Overall, this review concludes with details on various prospects of this tree as well as alternative for agroforestry and trees outside forests.