(basionym) Manilkara hexandra is a tree species in the tribe Sapoteae, in the family Sapotaceae.

It is native to much of the Indian subcontinent: Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka; Indo-China: Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

[1] Its vernacular names vary regionally; for example "Palu", "Palai"(பாலை) in Tamil or "Rayan" (පලු) in Sinhalese.

[6] Manilkara hexandra is a slow-growing but fairly large evergreen species.

The wood is hard, durable, and heavy; the density is variously reported as ranging from about 0.83 to 1.08 tonnes per cubic metre, partly depending on the degree of drying.