White Siris (Matti)

Ailanthus triphysa is a tall evergreen tree native to the forests of South and Southeast Asia and Australia, including Kerala and the Western Ghats. Its bark yields a fragrant resin called matti pal or halmaddi, used in incense.

In Kerala practice the resin and bark have traditionally been used in aromatic preparations and for digestive comfort. Extraction of the resin was banned in India in the 1990s because poor tapping methods were killing the trees.