. .-~ fDstftute of BirtoQIf;ol (OOlk.

S..,lon. or~ j" Ia.

SOME BEAUTIFUL
INDIAN TREES

BY

ETHELBERT BLATTER
AND

WALTER SAMUEL MILLARD

SECOND EDITION
REVlSED BY

WILLIAM T. STEARN

PUBLISHED FOR

THE BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

1 14 APOLLO ST REET
BOMBAY
INDIA
SOME BEAUTIFUL
INDIAN TREES
 NOBLE AMHERSTIA

Amherstia nobilis

FTO~,lispie(e
 F[RST EDIT[ON 1937
SECOND EDmON [954

LONDON AOENTS:
WHELDO AND WESLEY LTD.
83-84 BERWICK STREET
LONDON, W.[

PRINTED IN BASICliRVII.. LE TYI'B BY

OL[VER AND BOYD LTD., EDlNBliROH
MADE [N OREAT BR[TA[N
 TO Til E MEMORY 01'

SISTER MARY CHIONIA

OF ALL SAINTS, DOMIlAY

t 14 TH AUGUST 1932

FATHER ETHELBERT BLATTER

5.J., PH.D., F.L.S.
LATE PRlNCIPAL AND PROFESSOR 01' BOTANY,
ST. XAVIER'S COLLEGE, IJOMBAY

t 26m MAY 1934

AND

WALTER SAMUEL MILLARD

I'OR MANY YEARS A GENEROUS
SUPPORTER 01' TIiF DOMRAY
NATURAL JII STORY SOCLETY
AND AN EDITOR 01>"
ITS JOllRNAL

t 24TH MARCil 195 2

ALL OF WHOM UNSELFISHLY COLLABORATED

IN Tllll PRODUCTION OF "fl-IIS !lOOK
nUT DID NOT UVE TO SEE THE
TASK COMPLETEU

THIS ENLARGED EDITION IS

GRATEFULLY DEDICATED
I'IY TIlE

BOMBAY NATURAL
HISTORY SOCIETY
 CONTENTS
Page
THE SPLENDID AMHERSTIA (Amherstia nobilis)
THE VARIEGATED BAUIDNIA (Baulzinia variegata) 4
THE PURPLE BAUHINIA (Bauftinia purpurea) 8
TIlE FLAME OF THE FOREST (Butea monosperma) 12
THE CLIMBING PAI,.AS (Butea superba) 18
THE INDIAN LABURNUM (Cassia fistula) Ig
THE JAVA CASSIA (Cassia javanica) . '2 7
THE RED CAsSIA (Cassia Roxburghii) 3J
THE HORSE CAssIA (Cassia grandis) 33
THE BURMESE PINK CAsSIA (Cassia rcrligera) ::15
THE YELLOW SILK-COTTON TREE (Cochlospermum religiosum ) 38
COLVILLE'S GLORY (ColviUea racemosa) 42
THE SCARLET CORDIA OR ALOE-WOOD (Cordia SebestcTza) 44
THE SACRED BARNA (CrataCVQ Nurvala) 47
THE GUL MOJ.iUR OR FLAMBOYANT (Delonix regia, syn. Poinciana regia) .5 2
THE WHITE GUL MOHUR (Delonix clata) 57
THE LARGE-FLOWERED DILLENIA (Dillcnia indica) 60
THE INDIAN CORAL TREE (Erythrina indica) 63
Other Species of Erythrina . 6g
THE COLOURED STERCULIA (Firmiana colorata) 79
THE BRILLiANT GARDENIA (Gardenia resinifera) 83
THE SPOTTED GURICIDIA (Gliricidia sepium) 87
THE LIGNUM VITAE TREE (Guaiacum o.fficinale) go
THE MIMOSA-LEAVED JACARANDA (Jacaranda mimosifolia) 93
THE KLEINHOVIA (Kleinhovia hospita) 95
ROXBURGH'S KYDIA (Kydia calycina) 97
QUEEN OF FLOWERS (Lagerstroemia speciosa) 100

THE CREPE MYRTLE (Lagerstrocmia indica) 105

THE INDIAN CORK TREE (Millingtonia hortensis) 106
THE COPPER-POD (Peltl>phorum Roxburghii) 109
THE PAGODA TREE (Plumeria rubraf neutifolia) 112
THE FRANGIPANI (Plumeria rubra rubra) 117
THE WIDTE FRANGIPANI (Plumeria alba) . 1J8

THE PADAUK (Pterocarpus indicus) 119

THE SILK-COTTON TREE (Salmalia malabarica, syn. Bombax malabaricum) 12 2
Other Species of Salmalia 126
THE AsoKA TREE (Sarnea indica) 130
Yij
viii CONTENTS
Page
THE LARGE-FLOWERED NIOHTSHADE OR POTATO TREE (Solanum
grandijlorum) 134
THE SCARLET-BELL OR FOUNTAIN TREE (Spathodea campanulata) 13 6
TUE WAVY-LEAVED TECOMELLA (Tecomella undulata) . 139
THE Bm:NDl TREE (Thespesia pOJJUlnea) 141
ApPENDICES-
DESCRIPTIONS Of' FAMILIES REPRESENTED 145
KEy TO TH:E GENERA 15 2
CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE 15 6
GLOSSARY OF SOME BOTANICAL TERMS 157
SOME SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION 161
GENERAL INDEX • 16 3
 COLOUR PLATES
AMI-IERSTIA NOBILIS H. Crichton . Frontispiece
Plate Facing page
1. BAUlUNIA VARIEGATA 1I1argaret Tltllckcr 4
If. BU1'!lA MONOSPERMA Mary Chionia 12

III. CASSIA FISTULA M. Chionia 20

IV. CASSIA JAVANlCA M. Chionia 27

V. CAsslA RENIGERA M. Thacker . 35
VI. COCl-ILOSPERMUM RELlGIOSUM Stanley Henry Prater 38
VII. COLVILLEA RACEMOSA M. Chionia 42
VIII. CORDIA SEDESTENA M. Chionia 44
IX. CRATAEVA NURVAI.A M. Chionio 47
X. DELONIX REGIA M. Chionia 54
XI. DELONIX ELATA II. Crichton 58
XII. DJLLENlA INDICA M. Robinson 60

XIII. EUYTIIRINA INDICA M. Thacker. 63

XIV. FIRMIANA COLOHATA lllf. Thacker . 81
XV. GARDENlA RESINIFERA Gwendalen Beatrice Ki,l71car 83
XVI. GLIRICIDIA SEPlUM S. H. Prater 88
XVIT. GUAIACUM OFI'ICINALE M. Chionia go
XVIII. JACARANDA MIMOSIFOLIA M. Chionia 93
XIX. KLEINHOVIA l-lOSPITA M. Robinson 05
XX. KYDlA CALYCINA Frances Mary Elizabeth Douie 97
XXI. LACERSTROEMIA ~I'EC!OSA M. Chionia 104.

XXII. MtLLlNCTONlA HORTENS1S M. Chiania 106

XXIII. PELTOPI-IORUM ROXlIURGHlI M. Chionia 1 II
XXIV. PLUMERIA RUBRA C. B. Ki,mear "4
XXV. PTEROCARPUS INDICUS Harichandra Nat/wba Wandrekar 119
XXVI. SALMALlA MALABARICA M. Chionia . 122
XXVII. SARACA INDICA G. B. Kinnear 130
XXVIII. SOLANUM GRANDIFLOR UM M. Chionia . 135
XXIX. SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA . G. B. Kinnear 13 6
XXX. TECOMELLA UNDULATA F. M. E. Douie '39
XXXI. THESPESIA POPULNEA M. Chion;a . 142
ix b
 BLACK AND WHITE PLATES
Plate Facing page
I. AMHERSTIA NOBIUS 2

2. AMHERSTIA NOBILIS 3
3· BAUH INIA PURPUREA 8
4· BAUHlNIA PURPUREA 9
5, 6. BUTEA MONOSPERMA 16

7· BUTEA SUPERBA 17
8. CAsSIA FISTULA I7
9· CASSIA JAVANlCA 29
10. CASSIA NODOSA 29

II , 12. COCHLOSPERMUM RELiGIOSUM 40

13, 14· COLVILLEA RACEMOSA 41
15, 16. CRATAEVA NURVALA 49
17, 18. DELONIX REGIA . 58
19· DILLENlA INDICA 62
20. DILLENIA INDICA 63
21. ERYTHRINA INDICA 64
22, 23· FIRMIANA COLORATA 81
24, 2.'). GARDENIA RESINIFERA 84
26. GURICIDIA SEPIUM 88
27, 28. GUAIACUM OFFICINALE. 90
29, 30. JACARANDA MIMOSIFOLIA 94
31. KLEINIJOVIA HOSPITA 95
32. K VOIA CALVCINA 98
33· LAOERSTROEMIA SPECIOSA 10 3
34, 35 Mn.L1NGTONIA HORTENSIS J08
36, 37. SALMALIA MALADARIOA 128
38. SALMAL1A MALABARICA 129
39. SARACA INDICA . 129
40, 41. SOLANUM ORANDIFLORUM 13 6
42, 43. SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA 137
44, 45· TECOMELLA UNOULATA 139
46, 47. THESPESIA POPULNEA 142
xi
 INTRODUCTION
Tms book deals with some of the most beautiful flowering
trees which are to be seen in India. Most of them grow
wild in India and have been introduced from there into
other tropical countries. Some, however, have been
brought from other tropical countries to India. It thus
includes a number of trees familiar to flower-lovers in
all warm countries and will, it is hoped, be of use and
interest not only in India but the tropics generally. It
consists of revised and partly rewritten articles which
appeared originally in the Journal of the Bombay Natural
History Society, volumes 33 (1929) to 39 (1 936). These
were prompted by many enquiries as to the correct names
of trees so conspicuous when in flower, which revealed
the need for a modcrn book about them with illustrations
in colour. To ascertain their names is not always easy
unless one is botanically minded and has available a good
library of botanical works. Many people, however, lack
the time and facilities for such research and are unable
to visit botanical gardens where correctly labelled speci-
mens of these trees may be found. This book accordingly
gives short descriptions in popular language of some of
the more conspicuous trees, together with coloured and
black-and-white illustrations. It aims to be of service
to those who wish to learn not only the names of these
beautiful trees but also something about their history,
cultivation and uses.
The coloured plates have been reproduced from
drawings of the living plants by the following artists, to
all of whom our thanks are due: Miss Margaret Thacker,
Miss Gwendolen Millard (Lady Kinnear), Sister Mary
Chionia, Lady Douie, Mr S. H. Prater, Mrs H. Robinson
and Mr H. N. Wandrekar. The help given by the late
Rev. ]. F. Caius, s.J., Mr Charles McCann, Mr P. M. D.
Sanderson and the late Mr C. E. C. Fischer in the prepara-
tlon and publication of the first edition is also gratefully
xiii
XlV INTRODUCTION

acknowledged. That edition, written in collaboration

with the late Rev. Father E. Blatter and published in
1937, has long been out of print but has remained in
demand. The present edition is more than a reprint
of that work in a larger type. Many additions and
corrections have been made to the notes on the meaning,
history and derivation of the plant names, especially
those relating to Delonix, Kleinhouia and Salmalia. A few
descriptions have been slightly amended and a coloured
plate of Delonix elata, references, synonyms, descriptions
of the botanical families, a key to the genera, a short
glossary and a short bibliography have been added, while
bringing the nomenclature into line with the International
Code of Botanical Nomenclature by taking note of research
done in America, Britain, the Philippines, Malaya, the
Dutch East Indies and Ceylon has necessitated a number
of changes in the names employed in the first edition.
The descriptions of the families represented have been
taken from Dr John Hutchinson's The Families of
Flowering Plants, Dicotyledons (Macmillan, London, 1926)
by kind permission of the author and the publishers and
are included for the benefit of students. Mr William T.
Stearn, a specialist in botanical bibliography, who became
acquainted with most of the trees described here while
serving in India and Burma during the 1939-45 war, has
kindly assisted me in the preparation of this book and
most of the above-mentioned differences between the two
editions are due to his enthusiastic co-operation.
W. S. M.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
KENT, ENGLAND
 NOTE
MR MILLARD came out to Bombay from England in
1884 as a wine-merchant, retiring to England in 1920,
but remaining keenly interested until his life's end in
the promotion of Indian natural history and gardening.
An account of his services to the Bombay Natural History
Society will be found in the Society's Journal, 50, 698,
910-913 (1952). He introduced many good plants to
Bombay and formed gardens there which were examples
of good planning and cultivation. In this book he has
made some of the results of his experience permanently
available. At the age of eighty-four he felt unable to
produce a new edition unaided and asked me to revise
and extend its botanical and bibliographical material,
z. task I undertook gladly, for my stay in India and
Burma had made me well aware of the book's value as
a simple guide to the commoner showy trees of those
countries. This revision was done in 1948. Unfortunately
circumstances outside our control, notably the loss of
original illustrations and blocks during the war, have
delayed publication. It is a matter of sorrow that
Mr Millard died before the final printing. The delay has,
however, made possible the incorporation of further
references and of information which has become available
since 1948.
W. T. S.
BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY)
LONDON
 THE SPLENDID AMHERSTIA
AMHERSTlA NOBILlS Wallich, PI. Asiaticae Rar. I, I, t. I. 2 (1829);
Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 272 (1878).

This is perhaps the most beautiful of all flowering

trees. The large graceful sprays of vermilion and yellow
flowers drooping from every branch, set in the deep green
follage, present an aspect of astonishing lovellness scarcely
equalled by any tree in the world. Very remarkable and
striking are the long hanging rich red or purplish clusters
in which the young leaves appear. It is a leguminous
plant, and belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae. The
name Amherstia is in honour of Countess Amherst and her
daughter, Lady Amherst, promoters of Indian botany:
nobilis, on account of the exquisite beauty of the flowers.
Description.-A moderate-sized tree 30 to 40 ft. high,
much like the Asoka (Saraca indica) in general appearance
when not in bloom. The stout trunk is covered with
thick, uneven, dark ashy-grey bark. The spreading
branches are overlaid with dense dark green foliage.
The young shoots and leaves are pendulous and downy.
The leaves, I to I t ft. long, are composed of 6 to 8 pairs
of opposite leaflets. The leaflets, 6 to 12 in. long by 1
to I! in. wide, are distantly arranged; in shape oblong
with almost parallel sides, narrowing slightly to the base
and suddenly tapering off to a fine point at the apex.
They are smooth and dark green above, paler and softly
hairy below. At the base of the leaf-stalk there are two
leaf-like lance-shaped and sharply pointed stipules, I to
I _ in. long, which fall off soon after the leaf develops.
The flowers are arranged in very large candelabra-
like racemes which arise from the axils of the leaves, and
frequently attain 3 ft. in length. The reddish branches
of the racemes support from 20 to 26 beautiful flowers.
The individual flower stalks together with the large leaf..
like bracts below the calyx are intensely red. The calyx
IS tubular at base, then divides into 4 spreading sepals
A
2 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREE [AmherSlia

a little shorter than the bracts. The corolla has 5 petals,

3 conspicuous, 2 minute. The large standard is 3 in.
long by 2 in. at its widest part, reversedly heart-shaped
with rounded lobes and toothed margins. In colour it
is red with a splash of white between the lobes and a
roundish yellow spot in the centre. The wing petals are
like the standard but much narrower, spreading and
reflexed. The two keel petals are small. There are 10
stamens, a short free upper one and 9 united basally by
their filaments, 5 anthers on long filaments alternating
with 4 almost sessile anthers. The anthers are large and
dark green in colour. Ovary is flat and densely hairy.
The fruit is a broad pod.
Flowering.-The tree flowers during the greater part
of the year, but chiefly from January to March. The
flowers last only two or three' days.
Distribution.-It is indigenous in Tenasserim, southern
Burma, but is so rare that it seems to have been recorded
only twice in a wild state. Wallich, who discovered it
in 1824, knew Amherstia only as a cultivated tree growing
in a monastery garden near Martaban. In 1865 the
Rev. C. Parish saw a single wild tree by the Yoonzalin
river, a tributary of the lower Salween (c.f. Journal R.
Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 34, NO.3, p. I45; 1865). In 19 2 7
Mr R. N. Parker found a few trees in the Mergui district
near the Tenasserim river; here the local Karens called it
natthami (daughter of the spirit). Its Burmese name is thawka.
Uses.-Cultivated as an ornamental tree in the moister
parts of Burma, Southern India, Bengal and Ceylon.
Gardening.-The tree is somewhat difficult to cultivate,
being delicate when young and requiring a rich soil and
a warm, moist, equable climate. It may be raised from
seed in pots or baskets, but can best be propagated by
layering in the hot season and planting out during the
rains. It is successfully cultivated in Ceylon, but seldom
ripens its seeds there (Troup).
The seeds are also exceedingly difficult to obtain in
Burma, and propagation is principally by layering. In
Bombay there are a few good specimens growing with
some protection from the midday sun.
Amherstia] SPLENDID AMHERSTIA 3
We have taken the liberty of quoting the following
extract from a book published in I93~h Paxton and the
Bachelor Duke, by Violet Markham, in which it is related
how the sixth Duke of Devonshire brought back from
Calcutta in 1837 two plants of Amherstia nobilis. One
died on the voyage home and although the other one
flourished at Chatsworth it never flowered.
H Twelve years later, in 1849. they had the mortification of
seeing a plant of Amherstia sent by Lord Hardinge, then Governor
General of India, to Mrs Lawrence. of Ealing Park, Middlesex,
flowered by this lady when it was only eleven feet high.
" Ten years previously, Dr Wallich had accompanied the British
Envoy on a tour in Burmah. Their business took them up the
River Salven [i.e. Salween] in order to examine the teak forests of
that area. On his return, Dr Wallich inflamed the imagination
of all botanists and gardeners by his account of a new and marvellous
tree with splendid geranium coloured flowers found by him in the
garden of a ruined monastery on the Salven River near the town
of Martaban. Handfuls of blossoms were scattered as offerings in
the caves before the images of Buddha. Dr Wallich was able to
bring back a specimen of this tree to the Calcutta Botanic Garden.
It was given the nam of Amherstia nobilis (Splendid Amherstia) and
by a happy coincidence it flowered for the first time in March, 1836,
as Gibson landed in India."
There is a large specimen of this tree in one of the
stove houses at Kew; Mr C. P. Raffil, late Assistant
Curator, writes: "The Kew plant was presented by
Mrs (afterwards Lady) Lawrence in 1854. Its height is
about 28 ft., but it has to be kept down to the height
of the roof by pruning and would no doubt become much
higher if there was room for it to extend. It generally
flowers here in April or May."
Standardised plant name, U.S.A .-Flame Amherstia.
 THE VARIEGATED BAUHINIA
BAUlUNIA VARIEGATA Limlaeus, sp. PL I, 375 (1753); Hooker C.,
F!' Brit. India, z, 284 (1878).
The name Bauhinia was given in honour of the
celebrated herbalists Jean Bauhin (1541-1613) and his
brother Gaspard (Caspar) Bauhin (1560-1624), "the
two-lobed leaves or two as it were growing from the
same base recalling the noble pair of brothers," as
Linnaeus remarked. The genus belongs to the family
Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae) .
Description.-A medium-sized tree with dark brown,
nearly smooth bark. The young shoots are covered with
a brown pubescence. The leaves, which are shed during
the cold weather, are 4 to 6 in. long, as broad or broader
than long, with a median cleft reaching from t to 1 the
way down into the blunted lobes. When young they are
minutely hairy but with age this character is lost except
along the nerves and their axils. Their texture is slightly
leathery, the base is usually deeply heart-shaped and there
are J J to J 5 nerves; the stalks vary from I to I lin.
long. The flowers are large, fragrant, and may be either
white or purplish, appearing when the tree is leafless ;
they are disposed in short, few-flowered, grey pubescent
racemes at the ends of the branches or in the axils of the
leaves; the flower stalks are short or absent with bracts
and minute bracteoles which are slightly hairy and
deltoid in shape. Calyx tube slender t to I in. long,
the limb spathe-like, as long as the tube and 5-toothed
at th~ apex, softly grey-haired. Petals 2 to 2t in. long,
obovate, with long rather broad claws, all white or 4
petals pale-purple and the fifth darker with purple veins.
Stamens 5 fertile, no staminodes. Ovary softly hairy
along the sutures, long-stalked; style long; stigma
head-like. Pods 6 to 12 by ! to I in., hard, flat, dehiscent
on a hairless stipe I in. long. Seeds 10 to 15.
This beautiful tree has flowers of varied colours, pink,
 PLATE I

VARIEGATED BAUHINIA

Bauhinia uariegata

Mauve form and white form

Bauhinia] VARIEGATED BAUHINIA 5
white and mauve splashed with purple. The white
flowering form (candida) is also common and is very
striking with a yellow splash at the base of one or more
petals. These trees flower from December to March or
April. Mr C. M. Tembe, Superintendent of H.H. The
Maharaja Holkar's garden at Indore, the Manik Bagh,
says: "This tree is planted largely there in gardens and
avenues for ornamental purposes."
Distribution.-Found wild in the sub-Himalayan tract
from the Indus eastwards, Assam, Burma, Chota Nagpur,
Central Provinces, Western Peninsula. Cultivated largely.
Wild also in China.
Gardening.-Often cultivated in gardens and will some-
times flower in its second year as a shrub. It thrives in
a variety of soils, but delights in high well-drained land.
It is very tender and easily affected by low temperatures.
No particular care in tillage or manuring is necessary,
but a better bloom is secured if some attention is given to
these. Cuttings root with difficulty.
Flowering, leaf-shedding and fruiting.-The leaves com-
mence falling in November to December, and the tree is
leafless or nearly so by March; the new leaves appear
in April and May. The large pink to purple or white
flowers appear from February to April, chiefly on the
upper leafless branches, the lower branches often being
still in leaf. The flowers are fragrant and are visited
by bees, by whose agency pollination is effected. The
pods form rapidly, ripening in May and June (Northern
India); they are 6 to 12 by 170 to 1 in., hard and flat,
with 10 to 15 seeds, and dehisce for the most part on the
tree, scattering the seeds. The seeds are ! to ! by t to
r70 in., nearly circular, flat, brown, with a somewhat
coriaceous testa, 70 to 100 weighing 1 oz. ; they germinate
readily and show a high percentage of fertility, which is
retained to some extent for at least a year (Troup).
Natural reproduction.-The seeds, which are scattered
before the beginning of the monsoon, germinate readily
when the rains begin, and germinating seeds may be
found in quantity round the trees. But unless the seed
happens to become buried in earth and debris, or is
6 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Bauhinia

sheltered from the sun, most if not all of the young plants
may die off owing to the drying up of the radicle if exposed
to the sun, while birds and insects also cause a good deal
of mortality by eating off the radicles. The most favour-
able condition for the establishment of reproduction
appears to be the presence of loose porous well-drained
soil, in which in the first place the seed has a chance
of becoming covered with earth, and in the second place
the seedling develops sufficiently rapidly to overcome
weed-growth (Troup).
Artificial reproduction.-The most successful means of
raising the tree artificially is by sowing in lines in which
the soil has been well loosened, followed by regular
weeding and loosening of the soil. Unless regular watering
can be carried out, transplanting is difficult except in
the case of small plants during the first rains. The seed
should be sown in May in drills 9 to 10 in. apart; the
young plants usually appear in 4 to 10 days, and may
be transplanted while still comparatively small during
the first rains. Trees planted for ornament may be kept
a second year in the nursery, but regular watering is
necessary in the dry season following transplanting; in
this case either the seedlings should be pricked out in
the nursery during the first rains or the drills should be
at least 12 in. apart, and the seedlings should be thinned
out where necessary (Troup).
Economic value.-The plant is of value for decorative
purposes.
The tree yields a gum with the properties of Cherry gum.
The bark is used in tanning and dyeing; it yields a fibre.
The leaves are made into cigarette covers.
The seeds are said to yield an oil.
The wood is grey and moderately hard, with irregular
masses of darker and harder wood in the centre. It is
hard and serviceable, but seldom of large size; it weighs
33-48 lb. per cubic foot. It is used for making agricultural
implements and for fuel.
Domestic uses.-The leaves, the flowers, the flower-buds,
and the young pods are eaten as a vegetable; the flower-
buds are often pickled.
Bauhinia] VARIEGATED BAUHINIA 7
Medicinal properties and uses.-Almost every part of the
plant is used medicinally in India.
Sacred uses.- The tree is often seen on Buddhist
sculptures.
Vernacular rlames.-Almora: Keorab; Bengal: Bidul, Kovidara,
Lalkanchan, Raktakanchan, Vagakangchan, Yugapatra; Berae:
Kachnag, Kachnar, Kanchan; Bhumif: Kandol, Kundol; Bombay:
Kanaraj, Kanchan, Kovidara; Burma: Bwaycheng, Bwechin;
. Canarese: Arisinantige, Ayata, Bilikanchivala, Bilikanjivala, Irku-
balitu, Kanjivala, Karalabhogi, Kempukanjivala, Kempumandara,
Mandara, Ulipe ; Central Provinces: Kachnar; Dehra Dun: Kachnar;
English: Variegated Mountain Ebony; French: Arbre de Saint
Thomas, Bauhinie panachee; Hindi: Barial, Gurial, Gwiar, Kachnar,
Kandan, Kaniar, Khaitwal, Khwairaal, Koliar, Kural, Padrian;
Jaullsar: Gorias; Khond: Kopu; Kolami: Buj, Burunga, Juruju,
ingya; Konkani: Kanchan; Kotra; Kachnal; Kumaon: Guiral,
Kuiral; Lambadi: Jhinjero; Lepcha: Rha; Malayalam: Kovi-
daram, Suvannamandaram, Unna; Marathi: Kanchan, Rakta-
kanchan, Thaur; Mechi: Kurmang; Melghat: Champa; Mundari:
Burju, Buruju, Jantai; Nepal: Taki; Nimar: Kachnar; Sanskrit;
Ashmantaka, Champavidala, Kanchana, Kovidara, Uddalaka, Yuga-
patraka; Santali: Jhinjir, Jingya; Saora: Boda, Rovilara; Tamil;
Mandarai, Segappumandarai, Semmandarai, Vellaippuvatti; Telugu;
Bodanta, Devakanjanamu, Kanjanamu, Mandara, Mandari; Urdu;
Kachnal; Uriya: Boroda, Kanjoni, Kosonaro, Rongakonjono.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Buddhist Bauhinia.

The Variegated Bauhinia can easily be mistaken for

another beautiful tree often grown in Indian gardens,
the Purple Bauhinia (Bauhinia purpurea) , described on the
next page.
 THE PURPLE BAUHINIA
BAUFUNIA PU RPUREA Linnaeus, p. Pl. I, 375 (1753); Hooker, r.,
FI. Brit. India, z, 284 (1878).

.... _'"' _.. . .~ - '.:..,"" ..

~
.",
~

,.--:..:. -._ ~ ,:. /, ._

, . - .' '" - ;%
_':,\ t ~ :,.I'

Description.-A medium-sized tree with nearly ashy to

dark brown bark, leafless during the cold season; young
parts clothed with brown pubescence. Leaves 3 to 6 in.
long, rather longer than broad, cleft about half-way down
into 2 pointed or rounded lobes, very minutely hairy
beneath when young, base usually heart-shaped, 9 to
II nerved; leaf-stalks I to I t in. long. Flowers large,
rose, purple, disposed in few-flowered panicles at the ends
of the branches; the panicles are covered with a brown
tomentum, stalks t to ! in. long, stout and covered with
a powdery substance; bracts and bracteoles small,
tomentose, deltoid. Calyx tomentose, tube -& to ~ in.
long, the limb twice as long as the tube usually splitting
into 2 reflexed segments, one irregular margined, the
other 3-toothed. Petals It to 2 in. long, oblanceolate,
long-clawed, spreading-veined. Stamens usually 3 fertile,
the others reduced to antherless filaments. Ovary downy,
long-stalked; style long; stigma large and oblique. Pod
6 to 10 by I to i in. on a tomentose stalk, i to I in. long,
linear, flat, pointed, greenish tinged with purple till ripe,
breaking up late. Seeds 12 to 15, almost round, flattened,
t in. in diameter, dark br9W1'l, smooth.
I t grows sparingly throug~ol1t ·India and China and
is cultivated in most _parts of India. .
Flowering and fruiting.-The terminal .panicled racemes
of large purple, deep-rose to lilac flowers appear amongst
8
3. Tile Purpk Bauhinia (Bwlhinia !Jw/mrta ) . . \ branch willi Ilowcr and fruil.

,. c C. "'(I
, ,.
.J.. TI,(' Purpk Ba llhinia (B au/iilli(1 !lIIljlllrc(/) . /\ trr, ' full (d' )'oun !-( fruits in tbt'
Indi a ll B u ta llic ,ardell , Calcutt a.
Bauhinia) PURPLE BAUHINIA 9
the foliage from September to December. The flowers
are very fragrant, and are visited by numerous bees, by
whose agency pollination is effected. The pods form
rapidly, some attaining a fair length while the tree is
still in flower; they ripen from January to March, and

are then greenish-purple, 6 to 12 by ~ to 1 in., flat,

fairly thick, pointed, slightly falcate, with coriaceous
valves, containing 10 to 15 seeds. The seeds are brown,
compressed, f by 1- in. They germinate readily and have
a high percentage of fertility, which they retain unimpaired
for at least one year; tests at Dehra Dun with seed kept
for 14 months showed a fertility of 100 per cent. The
pods dehisce on the tree during the hot season, scattering
the seeds (Troup).
B
 10 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Bauhinia

Natural reproduction.-The seeds germinate readily at

the beginning of the rains, when numerous young seedlings
may be found in the neighbourhood of seed-bearers.
Where germination takes place on the surface of the
ground, however, much mortality occurs owing to the
drying up of the radicle if e'xposed to the sun. The
survival of the seedlings is greatly facilitated if the seed
becomes buried in loose earth before germination and
the roots of the young plant are not exposed (Troup).
Artificial reproduction.-Experimen s at Dehra Dun have
shown that the best results are attained by line sowings
kept regularly weeded; irrigation also has a marked
effect on the growth. The seedlings are somewhat
sensitive to transplanting, which has to be done with
care. The seed should be sown in the nursery in April
or May in drills 9 to 10 in. apart, and covered to a depth
of about ! in., regular watering and weeding being
carried out. The seedlings appear in about 4 to 10 days,
and can be transplanted while still of small size during
the first rains. Transplanting with unpruned stem and
roots should not be attempted during the second rains
unless regular watering is possible for some time. A
certain amount of success has been attained by trans-
planting after pruning the stem and tap-root down to
2 and 9 in. respectively, but this checks the growth
severely for a time (Troup).
Economic value.-The tree yields a gum. The bark is
used for dyeing and tanning; it yields a fibre. The leaves
are given to cattle as fodder.
The wood is pinkish-white, turning dark brown on
exposure, moderately hard, weighs 40 to 50 lb. per cubic
foot; used for the making of agricultural implements
and for building purposes.
Domestic uses.-The flowers are used as a potherb in
curries, and they are also made into pickles.
Medicinal properties and uses.-The root is tonic and
carminative, the flowers laxative, and the bark astringent.
A decoction of the bark is recommended as a useful wash
in ulcers.
The bark or root and the flowers, mixed with rice
BauhiniaJ PURPLE BAUHINIA II

water, are used as a maturant for boils and abscesses.

The Mundas apply the root on cuts and bruises.
The bark of the underground root is poisonous even
in a small quantity.
Vernacular names.-Bengal: Devakanchan, Koiral, Raktakanchan ;
Bhil: Kanchana, Kenchna; Bombay: Atmatti, Devakunchun,
Ragtakanchan; Burma: Mahahlegani; Canarese: Basavanapadu,
Kanchivala, Kanjivala, Kempukanjivala, Kempumandara, Sarul,
Ulipe; Dehra Dun: Khairwal; Garhwal: Guiral; Gond: Kodwari;
Hindi: Gairal, Kaliar, Kandan, Kaniar, Karar, Khairwal, Koilari,
Koinar, Koliar, Sona; Ho: Sing'a; Kharwar: Koinar; Khond:
Kopu, Soveri; Kolami: Buruju; Koya: Godetta; Kurku: Koliari;
Lepcha: Kachik; Lohardugga: Koinar; Malayalam: Suvanna-
mandaram; Mal Palzaria: Kundrau; Maratlzi: Atmatti, Deva-
kanchana, Ragtachandan, Raktakanchan; Mundari : Singara ;
Nepal: Khwairalo; Punjab: Karalli, Karar, Koiral, Kolar; Reddi:
Godugura; Saharanpur : Khairwalpapri; Sanskrit: Raktapushpa-
kovidara, Vanaraja; Santali: Singyara, Sinhara; Saora: Boda;
Tagalog: Alibanban; Tamil: Kalavilaichi, Mandarai, Nilattiruvatti,
Periavatti, Segappumandarai; Telugu: Bodanta, Devakanjanamu,
Kanjanamu, Peddare; Tharu: Koilara; Uriya : Boroda, Debokanjoro,
Kosonaro, Sono.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Purple Bauhinia.
 THE FLAME OF THE FOREST
BUTEA MONOSPERMA (Lam.) Taubert in Engler and Prantl, Pflanzen-
fam. 3, iii, 366 (1894).
Syn. Erythrina monosperma Lamarck, Encycl. Math. Bot. a, 391 (1788)
- Buteafrondosa Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, 1,22, t . 21 (1795) ;
Hooker r., Fl. Brit. India, a, 194 (1876) - Plaso monosperma (Lam.)
O. Kuntze, Revisio Gen. 1,202 (1891).
The genus is named after John Stuart (I7 13-92),
3rd Earl of Bute, munificent patron of botany. Mono-
spenna means " one-seeded."

This is the tree we consider the true « Flame of the

Forest." In parts of the country where these trees abound,
such as the forests of the Western Ghats and Central India,
their massed crowns of bright orange flowers seen in the
glitter of the sunlight suggest a forest in flames, so brilliant,
so vivid is their colouring.
Description.-An erect tree growing from 20 to 40 ft.
in height, with a crooked trunk and irregular branches.
Its bark is ash-coloured and rough, though the younger
portions of the tree are downy. The leaf is trifoliolate.
It is composed or made up of three leaflets, leathery in
texture. The old leaves are hairless above and finely
silky below; this silky covering gives the leaves a peculiar
greyish appearance when seen from a distance. The
network of veins stands out very conspicuously beneath
the leaf. The terminal leaflet is a blunt oval in shape.
It is described as obovate, or rounded at the apex and
 PLATE II

FLAME OF THE FOREST

Butea monosperma
Butta] FLAME OF THE FOREST 13
narrowing to a wedge at its base. It measures from
4 to 8 in. in length and is about as broad as long. The
lateral leaflets are broader at the base and more rounded.
They measure from 4 to 6 by 3 to 4 in. The main stalk
of the leaf is quite 4 to 6 in. in length; those of the leaflets
are about a quarter of an inch long.
Grouped in threes along a velvety, dark olive-green
stalk, the handsome flowers grow in great profusion in
stiff racemes, about 6 in. long. The individual stalks
of the flowers are about twice as long as the calyx, which
is deep velvety, olive-green externally and clothed with
silken hairs within. The rich dark tones of the stalks
and the calices present a striking contrast to the flaming
orange colouring of the petals. The outer or under surface
of the petals takes on a salmon-pink tone due to a delicate
covering of silvery hairs. Five petals are apparent, i.e. a
standard petal, about an inch broad, two smaller wing
petals and a much curved, beak-shaped keel which is
really formed by the fusion of two petals. The stamens
are practically enclosed within the keel. There are 10
of them, 9 united in a bunch and I free.
The pod when young is pale green. When ripe, it
fades to a pale yellowish-brown or grey. It carries a

silvery white sheen. It is extremely flat and thin except

at the apex where a slight thickening indicates the position
of its single seed. A thickening is also seen along the
margins.
The leaves begin to fall at the end of November or
during December. By the end of January some trees are
leafless, or nearly so. Others retain their leaves, especially
14 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Butea

on the lower branches, during the flowering season, up

to the end of March. New leaves appear in April or
early May and are of a delicate fresh-green colour.
Flowering season.-The flower buds are blackish and
appear on the bare branches in January, and from the
end of that month to the end of March the trees announce
the approach of the hot weather by bursting into a blaze
of flaming orange flowers, presenting a gorgeous sight.
When in flower, the tree is either entirely leafless or there
are some leaves on the lower branches. The flowers cover
chiefly the upper part of the tree. Flowering continues,
according to locality, up to the end of April. The time
of flowering is greatly influenced by seasonal conditions.
In dry seasons the flowers appear earlier than usual.
The pale-green flat pods develop very quickly and in
April the leafless trees, covered with green pods, give the
impression of being in full foliage.
Varieties.-In Vol. 6, p. 107 (1891), of the Journal of
the Bombay Natural History Sociery, H. T. Ommanney
records a variety of Butea monosperma which he observed at
Ghodra in the Panch Mahals. The flowers were a pale
yellow, with the bases of the petals primrose-yellow
shading to a creamy tint on the edges and on the reverse
sides. Col. C. E. Luard describes a variety seen by him
in Manpur Pargana, Central Indian Agency, which
produced golden-yellow flowers, their colouring like that
of the sunflower (Journ. Bombay Natural History Sociery, 26,
p. 26; 1918). A yellow variety is also known from
Amraoti, Berar. Seeds of this variety, sent by Major
D. O. Morris to Mr W. S. Millard in Bombay, were
planted; one tree is now growing in the Ladies' Gym-
khana, Malabar Hill, Bombay.
In Indian Forester, 65, p. 506 (1939), Mr K. P. Sagreiya
has named canary yellow and bright orange variants,
B. lutea and B. aurantea.
Distribution.-Common throughout the greater part of
India and Burma. In the outer Himalaya it ascends to
about 3000 ft., in Southern India to 4000 ft. In the most
arid regions it is rare or absent. In open grass lands the
tree is very typical and is often found gregarious.
Butta] FLAME OF THE FOREST 15

Gardening.- The long pod has only one seed near the
top. On germination the seed remains in the pod, which
opens at the tip and allows the young shoot and root to
emerge. The cotyledons remain attached to the seedling
for a considerable time. Growth is greatly stimulated
by weeding and irrigation, and Troup is of opinion that
the former is even more important than the latter. The
thick, long tap-root is often devoured by pigs, rats and
porcupines. The roots have a wonderful power of
recovery and any part not destroyed by animals will
send up new shoots.
Propagated by seeds. Thrives in black-cotton soil,
also in salt lands and in water-logged places.
Economic value.- The brilliant orange flowers which
appear before the leaves make the plant a very attractive
one for decorative purposes.
A valuable tree for recovering salt lands, and next to
Sclzleichera trijuga the most important one for the develop-
ment of the lac insect.
A ruby-coloured gum exudes from the tree, either
naturally or from artificial scars. It is largely used in
medicine and also in tanning and dyeing.
The young roots yield a fibre which is made into
ropes and native sandals. The inner bark also yields a
strong fibre which is used for rough cordage, for caulking
boats and for paper-making.
The leaves serve as plates, and are also used for making
umbrellas. They are used as manure.
A clear bright oil is extracted from the seeds in small
quantities.
An infusion of the flowers dyes cotton, previously
prepared with alum, a bright yellow, which may be
changed by an alkali into deep orange.
The wood generally resembles teak in appearance.
In Gujerat and in the Central Province of Ceylon it is
extensively employed for house-building purposes. In
the Punjab it is used for well-curbs, piles, and water
scoops of native wells; it is also used for gunpowder
charcoal. Well seasoned, it weighs from 30 to 40 lb.
per cubic foot.
16 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Butea

Domestic uses.-The root of young trees, I to 2 years

old, is baked and eaten by Mundari children; when
eaten raw, it causes giddiness. Pinned together with
thoms, the large leaflets are used rurally as plates for food.
The leaves are fodder for buffaloes and elephants.
Medicinal properties and uses.-The gum is used as an
external astringent.
The bark and the seed are given for snake-bite, and
the ash of a young branch is prescribed in combination
with other drugs in cases of scorpion-sting, but, as shown
experimentally by Caius and Mhaskar, they are all equally
useless.
Popular beliifs.- The tree is sacred to the Moon, and
is said to have sprung from the feather of a falcon imbued
with the Soma, the beverage of the gods. It is supposed
to be thus imbued with the immortalising Soma. It is
much employed in the Hindu ceremonies connected with
the blessing of calves to ensure their providing good
milkers.
The dry twigs are used to feed the sacred fire. The
wood is sacrificial, and is frequently mentioned in the
Vedas; from it are made sacred utensils and the staff
of the Brahmin which is placed in his hand as part of the
thread ceremony.
When, the last tuft of hair being removed, a Brahmin
boy becomes a Sadhu, he must eat from a " palas " leaf.
This is trifoliolate; the middle leaflet is supposed to
represent Vishnu, the left Brahma and the right Shiva.
The red flowers are offered to the gods, and in the
spring festivals they serve to give a temporary yellow dye
to the clothes of their votaries. They are likened by the
Buddhists to penitents dressed in red; and Amir KhusTU,
the Turkoman poet, likened them to a lion's claws stained
with blood.
Vernacular names.-Annam: Cay gieng gieng; Baigas: Pharsa;
Bandelkhand: Chalcha; Bengal : Kinaka, Palas, Palasa, Paras;
Berar: Palas; Betul: Palas; Bihar: Faras, Paras; Bombay:
Khakara, Khakharo, Palaaa; Burma: Pauk, Pouk, Pouk.pin;
Canarese; Brahmavikraha, Muttaga, Muttala, Muttuga, Palasa;
Central Provinces: Chlnta, Chiula, Puroh~palas; Gutch: Khakar,
Palas; Deccan: Palas, Pullas, Tesu; Engluk: Bastard Teak, Flame
 E
::l
...c::::s
..0
j
c::
.~
"0
c::

_ .. - ......
• .. A~.' '. ' _
Butta] FLAME OF THE FOREST 17
of the Forest; French: Butte feuillue, Butte touffue, Erythrine
monosperme; Gond: Murr; Gujerati: Kakria, Khakara, Khakda,
Khakhado, Khakhar, Khakharo, Palasso; Hindi: Chalcha, Chichra,
Desukajhad, Dhak, Kakria, Kankrei, Palasa, Parasa, Pursha, Tesu ;
Indo-China: Chea tran, Chiang, Gieng gieng, Tu khoang; Kadir:
Mukkappuyam; Kolami: Morud, Murut; Kumaon: Dhak ;
Kurku: Murr, Pharsa; Lambadi: Dagodar; Lepcha: Lahokung;
Malayalam: Brahmavriksham, Kimshukam, Mukkappuyam, Muriku,
Palasi, Palasinjamata, Plaso, Puppalasi, Shamata; Marathi: Kakra-
cha, Pal as, Paras, Phalas, Phulas; Matheran: Khakra, Pulas;
Mechi: Palashu ; Mundari : Muruddaru; Nepal: Bulyettra,
Palasi; Nimar: Palas; Persian: Darakhte-palah, Palah; Portuguese:
Favas de engenho; Punjab: Chachra, PIa, Sanura; Sanskrit:
Bijasneha, Bramhopadapa, Karaka, Krimighna, Lakshataru, Palasha,
Raktapushpaka, Tripatraka; Santali: Murup; Sinhalese: Gaskeala,
Kaliya, Kalukeale; Tamil: Kattumurukku, Murukku, Palasu,
Parasu, Pungu, Purasu, Vallai, Vallaippurasu; Telugu: Kimsukamu,
Modugu, Palasamu, Tellamoduga, Togarumoduga, Vatapodhamu;
Tulu: Palasa; Urdu; Palashpapra; Uriya: Kinjuko, Polas,
Polaso, Porasu.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Bengal Kino.

BUTEA Koenig ex Roxburgh

Four or five species of trees or woody vines of India
and China, with deep scarlet papilionaceous flowers in
racemes, and trifioliolate leaves. The belong to the
family Papilionaceae (Leguminosae).
 THE CLIMBING PALAS
BUTEA SUPERBA Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, I, 23, t. 22 (1795);
Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 195 (1876).

A gigantic woody climber with a stem as thick as a

man's leg, with very large, long, pointed leaflets. The
leaflets are much larger than those of B. monosperma, usually
12 to 18 in. in length, attaining quite 20 in. in young
plants. The climber is crowded, when leafless, with
gorgeous orange-scarlet flowers. The flowers again are
much larger than those of B. monosperma and are borne on
stalks three times the length of the calyx.
Flowers.- The climber flowers between March and
April. The pods ripen in June and July, and the leaves
are shed between February and May. The pods are like
those of B. frondosa.
Distribution.-Central and Southern India, Burma.
Uses.-The roots and also the young branches afford
a strong and useful fibre.
The leaves are regarded as a valuable fodder.
The tree yields a gum.
The root, the bark and flowers are all prescribed for
the treatment of snake-bite; the flowers are recommended
for scorpion-sting; but no part of the plant is an antidote
to either snake or scorpion venom (Caius and Mhaskar).
Vernacular names.- Bengal : Latapalash ; Berar : Belia palas, Palasvel ;
Bombay: Palasavela, Palasi; Burma: Poukgnwe; Cambodia: Char;
Canarese: Muttuginaballi; Deccan: Bel palas; English: Climbing
Palas; Gond: Samur; Gujerati: Velkhakar; Kharwar: Dorang;
Kolami: Morud; Koya: Modugaige; Kurku: Tunang; Lao:
Mai kwou krena; Marathi: Beltivas, Palasavela, Palasvel, Yelparas ;
Monglzyr: Chihunt; Mundari: Laramurud, Narimurud; Sanskrit:
Latapalasha; Santali: Narimurup; Singrampur: Baduri; Telugu:
Modugaige, Tigamaduga, Tigemoduga, Tivvamoduga; Uriya: Noi-
palas, Noipolaso, Palsano, Polasonoi.
 THE INDIAN LABURNUM
CASSIA FISTULA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. I, 377 (1753); Hooker f., Fl. Brit.
India, z, 26 r (1878).
Syn. Cathartocarpus fistula (L.) Persoon, Syn. PI. I, 459 (1805).

Cassia is an old Greek name used by Dioscorides.

Fistula, " a pipe," alludes to the long tubular fruit.
Description.- This beautiful tree is frequently planted
on city roads and avenues. Laburnum Road in Bombay

derives its name from the number of Indian Laburnums

planted there.
·9
20 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia
It is a more gracefully shaped tree than the European
Laburnum. The Indian Laburnum is a small, upright
tree which grows to a height of 20 or 30 ft. Its trunk
is short, its branches slender, upright and spreading, its
foliage of the deepest green. In young trees the bark is
smooth and ash-coloured. In older trees it becomes
rough and dark brown. The tree has a compound leaf.
The pubescent or slightly downy mainstalk or rachis of
the leaf, 9 to 16 in. long, bears from 4 to 8 pairs of leaflets.
Those growing about the base of the rachis are broadly
ovate in shape, while the leaflets nearer its tip are more
oblong and blunt-ended. The leaflets grow opposite or
nearly opposite one another. They are from 2 to 5 in.
long and about It to 3f in. broad. They are smooth
above and covered with fine veins, more conspicuous on
the under surface of the leaflet. The tender leaves are
bright green and covered below with a silvery down.
The erect branches and large leaves are distinctive in
the Indian Laburnum and quite unlike the feathery,
mimosa-like foliage and drooping branches so usual
among the Cassia trees.
Few Indian trees are more beautiful when in flower.
Draped in streaming clusters of bright yellow blossoms,
which hang from its branches in a golden shower, the
tree suggests the European Laburnum, but it is infinitely
more beautiful. Its drooping clusters of flowers are longer
and the flowers themselves much larger. Each raceme
or cluster is from 12 to 18 in. long. The cluster is made
up of slender, thread-like stalks which hang downwards
and bear a profusion of large, fragrant, yellow flowers.
The stalk of a flower is from It to 21 in. long. It is
slender, slightly hairy or quite smooth. The calyx is
made of 5 tender green sepals which fold backwards on
the stalk. There are 5 petals almost equal in size, almost
oval in shape and very distinctly veined. They enclose
10 thread-like stamens all crowned with anthers. The
3 longest stamens are much curled and bear large, oblong
anthers. There are 4 smaller median ones which are
quite straight; the 3 remaining stamens are quite short
and erect. Their anthers do not bear polJen. The pods,
 PLATE HI

iNDIAN LAlI Ul{N UM

C'lusia j i> tula

Cassia] INDIAN LABURNUM 21

of. which th~re is always a great profusion, are very con-

SplCUOUS durmg leaf fall. They hang like so many straight
pipes and have given the tree its Latin name of fistula.
For a similar reason the Dutch, an unromantic people,
called our Laburnum th "Pudding-Pipe Tree," while the
Bengali refers to the pods as "Monkey Sticks." The
pod is a straight cylinder. It is from a foot to 3 ft. in
length, and about an inch in thickness. It is quite smooth

and dark green when young, turning dark brown and then
black with age. Each pod contains from 40 to I 00 oval,
shining, yellowish-brown seeds embedded in a dark-
coloured, sweetish pulp.
Distribution.-Common in deciduous forests throughout
the greater part of India and Burma, ascending to 4000 ft.
in the Himalaya; also in Ceylon. The tree is not
gregarious, but is scattered in mixed deciduous forests,
often of a somewhat open type: it occurs fairly frequently
in sal forest. Sometimes it approaches gregariousness in
localities frequented by monkeys. It is found on a variety
of geological formations and will grow on poor shallow
soil, as on the dry outer slopes of the Himalaya. In
climatic requirements it shows a wide range. In its
natural habitat the absolute maximum shade temperature
varies from 1000 to 1200 F., the absolute minimum from
 22 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia

. 25° to 65° F., and the normal rainfall from 20 to 120 m.

or more.
Leaf-shedding, flowering and fruiting.-The tree is leafless
for a very short time, or hardly at all, between March
and May, the new leaves appearing in April to May;
these are bright green or sometimes a beautiful rich
copper colour. The long pendulous racemes of large
bright yellow flowers appear chiefly with the new leaves
from April to June, but it is no uncommon thing to find
the tree in flower even as late as September, particularly
in dry years. The long cylindrical pods develop rapidly,
reaching almost full length but not full thickness by
October, when they are still soft and green. By November
they are full-sized but still green and unripe; they
commence ripening in December and continue ripening
from January till March or April. The ripe pods hang
for some time on the tree, commencing to fall about
April to May, continuing to fall in the following months ;
old pods may often be found on the trees in September or
later along with the new half-grown green pods.
Like many other hard leguminous seeds, those of
Cassia fistula take some time to germinate, some lying
a whole year in the ground before doing so, even if
regularly watered. Boiling the seeds for about five
minutes before sowing has been found to give very good
results in stimulating germination. Tests carried out at
Dehra Dun showed that the seeds retain their vitality
unimpaired for at least two years. It was found that seeds
from pods one year old germinated more quickly than those
from fresh pods, though the percentage of sound seeds in
the former may be low owing to insect attacks (Troup).
Gardening.- C. fistula stands a moderate amount of
shade. It is not frost-hardy, and suffered severely in the
great frost of 1905 in Northern India. In the abnormal
drought of 1907 and 1908, which seriously affected the
forests of Oudh, it proved to be decidedly hardy. It is
not readily browsed, even by goats. It coppices vigorously
and produces root-suckers from a root-system which is
partly superficial. As already stated, it is not exacting
as regards soil, and may be found on poor shallow soils.
Cassia] INDIAN LABURNUM

Natural reproduction.-The following facts have been

established regarding the natural reproduction of this tree
from seed : -
(I) Reproduction is effected mainly, and perhaps
entirely, through the agency of animals (monkeys, jackals,
bears, pigs, and possibly others), which break open the
pods to eat the pulp and thus scatter the seeds or swallow
and disseminate them.
(2) The seed germinates during the rainy season, some
lying dormant until the second or even the third rains.
(3) Germination is favoured if the seed becomes
buried, and to some extent if it is protected by a moderate
growth of grass; if the seed lies on the surface of the
ground, much mortality takes place during germination
owing to the destruction of the radicle by birds and
insects, or to its drying up if exposed to the sun.
(4) Many seedlings perish in heavy weed-growth owing
to damping off during the rains.
Artificial reproduction.-The seed germinates tardily,
that kept for a year germinating more readily than fresh
seed. The seed should be sown in seed-beds in drills
about 10 in. apart in March or April, and regularly
watered; germination ordinarily takes place early in the
rains, though some of the seed may lie dormant until
the second year, germinating at different times from
March onwards. Transplanting requires some care, but
it can be carried out satisfactorily while the plants are
still comparatively small during the first rains; basket-
planting is the most satisfactory method, the seedlings
being transferred to the baskets in the first rains and
planted out in the second rains (Troup).
Economic value.- The tree is very suitable for decorative
purposes.
From the stem exudes a red juice which hardens into
a gummy substance.
The bark is used to some extent as a tanning material
in India, and for dyeing and tanning in Java.
The pulp of the pods is largely used in Bengal to
flavour native tobacco.
The wood ash is used as a mordant in dyeing.
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia

The wood is very durable; used for tom-toms, bows,

posts, agricultural implements, carts, and rice pounders,
though rarely of sufficiently large size for timber; weighs
52 to 73 lb. per cubic foot. It has been recommended
for paving blocks. Sapwood large, heart-wood varying
in colour from grey or yellowish-red to brick-red, extremely
hard.
Domestic uses.-The flowers are largely used by the
Santals as an article of food.
Medicinal properties and uses.- In Hindu medicine the
pulp is used as a cathartic; and the root is also described
as a laxative, useful in fever, heart disease, retained
excretions, biliousness, etc. In the Makhzan-EI-Adwiya,
the pulp is described as lenitive, useful for relieving
thoracic obstructions and heat of blood, and is a safe
aperient for children and women. Externally, it is said
to be a good application for gout, rheumatism, etc. The
flowers are made into a confection known as Gul-kand
and viewed as a febrifuge. From 5 to 7 of the powdered
seeds are prescribed as an emetic, and the shell of the
pod, rubbed down with saffron, sugar and rose-water, in
difficult parturition. In the Konkan, the juice of the
young leaves is used to cure ringworm and allay the
~r~itation caused by the application of the marking-nut
JUIce.
The root is given as a tonic and febrifuge. It has
been found to act as a strong purgative.
A poultice made of the leaves is said to relieve the
chilblains which are common in Upper Sind. It has
been beneficially used in facial paralysis and rheumatism
when rubbed into the affected parts. Internally, it is
given as a derivative in paralysis and brain affections.
The pulp of the fruit is in common use as a purgative
in the South of Europe; but is not often employed in
England, except in the form of the lenitive electuary, of
which it is an ingredient.
No part of the plant is an antidote to either snake or
scorpion venom (Caius and Mhaskar).
By steam-distilling the finely powdered fruit of Cassia
fistula, a dark yellow volatile oil, possessing a honey-like
Cassia] INDIAN LABURNUM

odour, is obtained. The oil forms an amorphous mass at

ordinary temperatures, melts at 41° C., and has a faint
acid reaction. The water which distils over with the oil
contains normal butyric acid.
Popular beliefs.- In Mysore stakes from the tree are
fixed in the ground and worshipped.

Vernacular names.-Arabic: Bukbur, Chiar-schambar, Katha-ul-hind,

Khiyar sham bur; Assam: Sonaru, Sunaru; Baigas: Raella;
Bengal: Amultas, Bandarlati, Sonali, Sondala, Sondali, Sudali,
Suvarnaka; Berar: Bahala, Bahawa; Betul: Amaltas; Bijnor:
Kitwali; Burma: Gnookye, Gnooshway, Ngu; Cachar: Bandolat;
Cambodia: Reach chhpus; Canarese: Aragina, Aragvadha, Arevata,
Kaki, Kakkai, Kakke, Konde, Rajataru; Central Provinces: Hirojah,
Jaggarwah, Karkacha, Raila; Chinese: A Po Le, Koui Hoa Ts'in,
Tch'ang Ko Chou; Deccan: Amaltas, Bawa, Bhaya, Girmalah;
Dehra Dun: Kirala; Egypt: Chiar schambar; English: Cassia,
Drumstick, Golden Shower, Indian Laburnum, Pudding-pipe,
Pudding-stick, Purging Cassia, Purging Fistula; French: Canefice,
Caneficier, Canificier, Casse mondee, Casse offieinale, Cassier;
Garhwal: Simara, Sinara; Garo: Sonalu; German: Fistelkassie,
Kassienroehrlein, Purgirkassie, Rohrkassie, Wurstroehrenbaum; Gond:
Jaggra, Jugarua, Kambar, Rera; Greek: Glykokalamon, Kassia
melaina, Melaina kassia, Syrina j Guam : Cai'iafistula; Gujerat:
Balla, Garmala, Garmalo, Girmala; Hawaii: Golden Shower;
Hindi: Amaltas, Bandarlauri, Girmalah, HamaItas, Khyar, Paikassi,
Sundaraj, Thumfur; Indo-China: Bo cap muoe, Brai xiem, Krete,
Sach phle; Italian: Cassia; Java: Tanggoeli; Kharwar: Danbar,
Dhanrach, Dunras; Khond : Pundali; Kolami: Hari; Konkani:
Baio, Ballo, Bavo; Kotra: Chuntur; Kumaon: Amaltas, Kitola,
Rajbriksh; Kurku: Banag, Bangru, Bhanaka-bhungru; Lambadi:
Ramdanda; Lepcha: Sung-gyen; Malaya: Sonawir; Malayalam:
Konna, Kritamalam, Saturangulam, Svarnnakam, Svarnaviram;
Marathi: Bahava, Bawa, Bhawabaya, Boya, Chimkani, Garmala,
Girimala; Matheran: Bahawa, Garmala; Mexico: Canafistula,
Cuauhnacaztli, Honxin; Mundari: Haridaru; Nasirabad: Chham-
kani, Chimkani; Nepal: Rajbirij, Rajbriksha; Nimar: Amaltas;
North- Western Provinces: Itola, Kitoli, Kitwali, Shimarra, Sim;
Qudh: Warga; Palamow: Bonurlati, Bonurlauri; Persian: Khiyar-
chanbar, Khiyar-e-chiga; Philippines: Cai'iafistula, Canapistola;
Porebunder: Garmalo; Portuguese: Canna fistula, Cassia fistula;
Punjab: Alash, Ali, Amaltas, Kaniar, Karangal, Kiar; Reddi:
Rela; Sanskrit: Aragvadha, Arogyashimbi, Chaturangula, Hima-
pusbpa, Kritamala, Maharaj druma, Rajataru, Svarnabhushana,
Vyadivata; San tali : Mirjubaha, Nuruc:, Nuruic; Saora: Rella,
Sonnalu; Sind: Chimkani; Sinhalese: Ahalla, AhiIla, Rhela;
D
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia
Spanish: Cafiafistola, Calia fistula; Tagalog: Ancherhan, Cafia-
pistola, Quiiiapestula; Tamil: Appai, Aragoram, Irali, Iyagam,
Kondrai, Madalai, Sarakkondrai; Telugu: Aragvadhamu, Kola-
pouna, Rela, Sampakamu, Suvarnamu; Tulu: Konde; Urall:
Sonarki j Urdu: Amaltas j Uriya: Sandari, Soturongulo, Sonari,
Sunari j Visayall: Balay, Balayong, Boloyong, Ibabao, Lombayong ;
Yemen: Chiar schambar.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Golden-shower Senna.

Linn.
CASSIA
Cassia is an ancient Greek name for a genus which
comprises some 400 different trees, shrubs and herbs,
some of them famed for the beauty and profusion of their
flowers, others for their medicinal value. The genus is
included in the family Caesalpiniaceae, which is named
after the Italian botanist Andrea Cesalpino who flourished
between 1519 and 1603. We propose to illustrate in
colour 3 species of this genus which are noted for their
showy flowers and to refer more briefly to a few others
which are commonly cultivated.
We append a key which will help in distinguishing
the various species of Cassia described here.
A. Bracts very small, falling off long before the flowers
appear:
1. Leaflets few, large, smooth, in distant pairs C·fistula.
2. Leaflets many, hairy, in closely approxi-
mate pairs C. grandis.
B. Bracts conspicuous, persisting till the flowers open.
a. Leaflets 6 to 14 pairs. Racemes lateral:
I. Leaflets pointed at the tips; smooth C. nodosa.
2. Leaflets rounded at the tips, hairy below C. javanica.
b. Leaflets 8 to 20 pairs. Racemes growing from
the scars of the fallen leaves . C. renigera.
c. Leaflets 10 to 20 pairs. Racemes growing in
the axils of the leaves on the young twigs
of the year . C. Roxburghii.
d. Leaflets 20 to 25 pairs C. multijuga.

The Cassias delight in a sunny exposure; they are

summer bloomers for the most part. Propagation is
mostly by divisions and seeds, the annual species always
by seeds.
PLATE IV

JAVA CASSIA

Cassia javanica
 THE JAVA CASSIA
CAssiA JAVANlCA Linnaeus, Sp. PI. I, 379 (1753); Hooker r., Fl.
Brit. India, 2,261 (1878).
Description.-Roxburgh described this Cassia as the
most beautiful he had ever seen. It is a medium-sized
tree. Its straight trunk, covered with smooth, dark brown

bark, supports a spreading crown of sturdy horizontal

branches and numerous drooping feathery-leaved branch-
lets. The leaves are from 6 to 12 in. in length. At the
base of the leaf-stalk is a crescent-shaped stipule. Its
lower half is narrow; the upper half is broader with a
spur in a notch at its apex. A large leaf is composed of
from 8 to 14 pairs of leaflets; on the smaller leaves
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia
growing on the lateral flower-bearing branchlets there
may be no more than 2 to 4 pairs. These leaflets are
I to 2 in. in length and about half that in breadth. They
are all very short-stalked, oblong-oval in shape and
rounded or blunt at the tips. There is much variation
in the shape of the leaflets; mostly they are blunt at the
apex but in some this character is less pronounced. In
texture they are smooth and silky, the under surface
being covered with a mat of downy hairs. They are
quite glossless. Leaf fall commences in December, some
of the leaves turning a bright yellow; by February most
of the branches are bare- their only ornament is the
blackened seed pods. The soft tender green leaves come
out in May together with clusters of deep pink buds.
The buds are grouped in whorls at the end of short
lateral branchlets. These presently opening form lovely
bunches of rose-pink flowers. In its crown of tender green
flowers and flower-laden branches the Java Cassia is
indescribably beautiful. The distinct clusters of flowers
intermingled with the foliage are a character which dis-
tinguishes the flowering of this Cassia from the Burmese
Pink Cassia (C. renigera). In the latter the flowering
branches are leafless. Except for a few leaves at the
extremity they are covered with a flow of pink and white
blooms in which the individual clusters are not readily
discernible. In Cassia javanica each cluster of flowers
contains about 10 blooms growing on long, slender stalks.
At the base of each stalk is a leafy, dull-red heart-shaped
bract. The calyx has 5 deep red sepals. The oblong
petals are of a lively rose-pink, veined in deeper pink.
They fade to white. The red bracts and sepals, the deep
pink buds, the pink and white of the petals give the
clusters a lively, variegated appearance. There are IO
bright yellow stamens. The 3 lower stamens are long
and prominent. They project in a double curve, swell
out markedly in the middle and then bend inwards.
They are crowned with large brown anthers. The anthers
on the smaller stamens are yellow. All of them are fertile.
The style is green.
The pods grow from 15 to 24 in. in length; externally
(). F low('rs and leav('s oj' Cassia jalJ(/nica.

C. J1feCaml
10. F lowt'rs a nd kaYes 0 1 Co .ria nodosa.
Cassia] JAVA CASSIA

they differ' in no way from those of the Indian Laburnum

(Cassia fistula). The only distinguishing feature is the
soft sweet pulp of C. fistula. In a pod of the Java Cassia
the space between the partitions-there are 70 to 80 of
them- is filled with a spongy mass in which there is a
roomy cell for a flattened seed, the size of a pea, smooth
and of a shiny brown colour.
Flowering season.- The tree flowers in May and by
mid-June the height of the flowering season is past and
the ground below the tree is strewn with fallen petals.
The seed pods ripen about February. This is another
of the beautiful trees which, during the hot weather,
brighten the roadsides and gardens of Bombay, where
it was introduced about the year 1910. Mr H. V. Kemball
was prominent in introducing it. Unfortunately the tree
has not a long life. ,
Distribution.-A native of Sumatra and Java. Planted
in the Peninsula, in Calcutta and Bombay, and probably
elsewhere.
Uses. - In French Guiana it is used medicinally as a
substitute for C. fistula.
Vernacular names.- English : Java Cassia, Javanese Cassia; French
Guiana: Casse-para.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Appleblossom Senna.

CASSIA NODOSA BuchanaTz-Hamilton ex Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal.

31 (1814), name only, Fl. Ind. ed. alt. a, 236 (1832); Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, a, 261 (1878).
The epithet nodosa means "full ' of knots," i.e. with
prominent nodes or swellings, and refers to the 3 longer
stamens of the flowers of this tree being spherically
thickened at the middle. The same character occurs,
however, in some other species of the genus.
As this Cassia, in common with the Java Cassia, is
frequently planted on roadsides and in gardens, we give
here a description which emphasises the points of distinc-
tion between these two trees which are very similar in
general habit.
Cassia nodosa grows to a larger size than the Java
Cassia. Like the Java Cassia, it has a crown of spreading
30 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Carda
branches with numerous drooping feathery-leaved branch-
lets. The leaf is from 6 in. to a foot in length. It is
composed of from 6 to 13 pairs of leaflets without an odd
terminal leaflet. The base of the leaflet is oval but
towards the apex it narrows and becomes almost lance-

shaped. The leaflets of the Java Cassia are blunt or

rounded at the tips. Another point of distinction is the
texture of the leaflets. Those of the Java Cassia are
glossless, slightly downy below. They have a silky feel.
The leaflets of C. nodosa, when full grown, are smooth
and leathery in texture with a glossy upper surface. Like
the Java Cassia, the flowers come out in big distinct
clusters. These clusters, grouped along the branches
in pairs or solitary, grow from the axils of the leaves
or more usually above the scars of the fallen ones. The
Cassia] CASSIA NODOSA 31
flowers and buds are of the same bright pink colour and
display the same tendency to fade white. They are set
in whorls at the end of a short branchlet. The points of
distinction are: The flower of C. nodosa has a velvety
calyx with green sepals, in C. jauanica the calyx is smooth
and the under surface of the sepals is deep red; the
petals of the former are more sharply pointed at the tips
than in the Java Cassia; finally the leafy bracts at the
base of the flower stalks are distinctly heart-shaped in
C. jauanica while in C. nodosa they are narrow and lance-
shaped. The flowers have 10 very unequal stamens.
The lower 3 are the longest, each with a distinctive
globular swelling in the middle. These nodes in the
middle of the stamens give the tree its name, but this
character is also present in the flowers of C. jauanica and
in other Cassias. The pods are similar in both trees.
Those of the Java Cassia are said to grow longer, reaching
from 18 to 24 in., while the pods of C. nodosa are from
12 to 18 in. in length.
Flowering season.- May and June.
Distribution.- Burma, Chittagong, Malay Peninsula,
China, Sumatra, Borneo.
Vernacular names. -Burma: Nguthein ; Malay : Busuk-busuk,
Sibusuk, Turukop bumi.

THE RED CASSIA

CASSIA ROXBURGHl1 De Calzdolle, Prodr. 2, 48g (1825)'
Syn. Cassia marginata Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal. 31 (1814), name only,
Fl. Ind. ed. alt. z, 338 (1832) ; Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z,
262 (1878), not C. marginata Willdenow, Enum. Horti Berol.
444 (180g).
Description.-A rather small, round-shaped tree,
growing from about 15 to 20 ft. in height with slender,
downward curving branches. Less robust in appearance
than the Cassias previously described, the Red Cassia is
uncommonly beautiful at all times, particularly when in
full flower. The leaf is composed of from 10 to 20 pairs
of leaflets. They are leathery, smooth above and blunt
at the tips. The flowers appear in small single clusters
growing from the axils of the leaves, on the young twigs
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia
of the year. There is a great profusion of them covering
the upper surfaces of the drooping branches. The petals
of the flowers are terra-cotta red with fine green veins,
deeper in tone on the under surfaces. The older blooms
are very bright pink. The 2 lower petals of the flower
are usually the largest, though the flower itself is small,
the petals not being more than half an inch in length.
All the stamens bear anthers. The 3 uppermost are the
longest; they protrude and curve inwards and are crowned
with dark red anthers. They have no swelling in the

middle as with the stamens of C. nodosa and some of the

other species. In the centre there are 4 much smaller
stamens with bright red anthers and 2 lower stamens.
These 2 are the smallest. They bear yellow anthers.
The sepals are salmon pink. There are pale green bracts
at the base of the flower stalks. The pods are cylindrical,
8 to 12 in. long with transverse partitions.
Flowering season.-The Red Cassia commences to flower
in May, though the height of the flowering season is
June, when the trees are smothered with their little red
flowers. The seed pods are ripe in March and April.
Distribution.-The Red Cassia is a native of Ceylon.
It was introduced into the Royal Botanic Gardens at
Calcutta in 1802. It is a common tree in South India
from South Arcot to Travancore and in the forests of
Mysore and the Carnatic. It is not uncommon in
Bombay gardens. There are a number of fine specimens
Cassia] RED CASSIA 33
in the grounds of St George's Hospital, originally planted
by the late Lt.-Col. H. P. Dimmock, I.M.S.
Economic value.-Heartwood light brown, very hard.
The wood is well adapted for turning; naves of wheels,
and handles of tools are made from it.
Vernacular names.-Burma: Ngumi; Ceylon: Vakai, Vakal;
English: Horse Cassia, Red Cassia, Red Indian Laburnum, Rox-
burgh's Cassia; Malayalam: Katakkonn; Sinhalese: Ratuwaa;
Tamil: Iragattukkondrai, Karungondrai, Kattukkondrai, Kirudam,
Kondrai, Mirinji, Narrikkondrai, Semmurungai, Sengondrai, Simaik-
kondrai, Sivappukkondrai, Sivattam, Tuvigayachin, Varibadi,
Varikkondrai ; Telugu: Ettamunaga, Simarela, Uchakayamanu,
Urimidi, Uskiamen.
THE HORSE CASSIA
CASSIA ORANDIS Linnaeusfilius, Suppl. 230 (1781).
Description.-The Horse Cassia is common in Bombay.

It is a small tree with deep green foliage. The terminal

leaflets on the younger leaves have a coppery tinge which
E
34 . SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia

is very distinctive. The leaves are velvety to the touch

as they are finely hairy above and below. A leaf contains
from 10 to 20 oblong leaflets abruptly rounded at both
ends. The flowers are rose-coloured; they grow in the
axils of the leaves in drooping racemes. There are no
bracts at the base of the flower stalks. The pod is 3 in.
or less in length, compressed, cylindrical, smooth, and
transversely wrinkled.
Flowering season.-The Horse Cassia flowers in February
and March when it has lost its foliage.
Distribution.- A native of tropical America; grown in
many tropical countries.
Uses.-The bitter pulp is used as a purgative.
Vernacular namu.-Brazil: Canna Fistula dos Grandes, Mari-mari ;
English: Horse Cassia, Pink Shower; French: Casse du Bresil;
French Guiana: Casse; Spanish: Casia del Brasil.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Pink-shower Senna.

CASSIA MULTIJUOA Richard in Actes Soc. Hist. Nat. Pans, I, 10

(J 792).
This is a small South American Cassia which was
introduced into Bombay from Peradeniya, Ceylon. Its
leaves contain from 20 to 25 pairs of oblong-elliptic
leaflets, hence the name multijuga, which means "many
yoked together." The leaflets are a bright green above
and very pale, almost white, below. The tree bears masses
of bright yellow flowers during August and September
when it is in full leaf This is the latest flowering Cassia.
The cycle commences with the flowering of the Horse
Cassias in February and ends with this species in
September.
The leaves are utilised like senna leaves.
PLATE V

BURMESE PINK CASSIA

Cassia renigera
 THE BURMESE PINK CASSIA
CASSIA RENIGERA Wallich, Cat. no. 5307 (1828-49) name only;
Bentham in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 27, 518 (1871); Hooker
r., FI. Brit. India, 2, 262 (1878).
Renigera means "kidney-bearing," In allusion to the
kidney-shaped stipules.

Description.-A small, medium-sized tree growing about

18 to 20 ft. in height. The tree has a short trunk and a
few upright branches which bear numerous slender,
drooping branchlets. Clothed in feathery leaves, they
reach downward like great spreading plumes. The leaf
is abruptly pinnate; there is no terminal leaflet to its
35
36 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cassia

main stalk. The young leaves spring from large kidney-

shaped stipules which are quickly shed. The leaves grow
from 4- to 12 in. in length. A single leaf is composed
of from 8 to 20 pairs of short-stalked leaflets. They are
oblong in shape, rounded at the apex, downy and soft to
the touch. Leaf fall commences during December and
by the end of March the tree is practically bare except
for a few ragged leaves and the blackened pods which
hang from its branches. In April the first buds appear.
These open and in a few weeks the branches are smothered
in a gorgeous profusion of pink and white blooms. Young
leaves commence to spring up, making an assemblage
of tender green leaves and masses of pink flowers which
is very striking and beautiful. The flowers are large and
showy. The older blooms fade from rose pink to white
and give the clusters a variegated appearance. Each
dense cluster of flowers is borne upon a short sturdy stem.
The clusters arise singly or in pairs above the scars of
the fallen leaves. Each flower-stalk springs from a downy
leaf-like bract. These stalks are deep red in colour and
covered with fine white hairs. The sepals which make
up the calyx of the flower are dull red externally and
tender green within. The petals are a deep pink, oblong
in shape and nearly an inch in length. As the flowers
commence to fade, the tips of the petals turn white, the
pink gradually receding and then fading out altogether
to leave the flower white. There are 10 stamens. The
largest 3 are swollen at the centre and much curled
and crowned with large tender green anthers. There
are 4 smaller median stamens and 3 quite small erect ones.
All of these are capped with anthers. The style is long,
thread-like and deep red in colour. The pods are very
similar to those of the Indian Laburnum. They are quite
smooth, cylindrical and grow to I ft. or 2 ft. in length.
Flowering season.-The main flowering season is from
May to July. Leaf fall commences during the cold
weather and is completed by the end of March and the
young leaves sprout in May, shortly after the tree is in
full flower. Prain notes that the Shan Hills specimens
have yellow flowers.
Cassia] BURMESE PINK CASSIA 37
Distribution.-Dry zone of Upper Burma, now intro-
duced into India and the Malay States.
Gardening.-The Burmese Pink Cassia which is so
common in Bombay City was first introduced by the
Hon. R. A. Forbes-Sempill, who sent three plants to
Mr Millard from Rangoon about Ig02. When the trees
flowered, they were so beautiful that other specimens
were obtained and, as the tree seeds quite freely, it has
become quite common. The tree has not a long life
but it grows rapidly. Trees planted from seed in a garden
in Salsette in 1923 bore flowers for the first time in Ig2g
and in Ig30 were about 18 ft. in height. The tree is
cultivated for ornament. It grows and flowers well even
in moist climates like those of Rangoon, Singapore and
Bombay, although in its natural habitat this Cassia is
accustomed to a dry climate and is capable of growing
on comparatively poor soil.
A note by the late Rev. E. Blatter, S.J., with a photo-
graph of Cassia renigera when it first flowered in Bombay,
in May Ig06, appeared in the Journal of the Bombay Natural
History Society, Vol. I8, page 1036 (rg07).
Vernacular names.- Burmese: Ngusat, Ngushwe, Pwabet; English:
Burmese Pink Cassia.
 THE YELLOW SILK-COTTON TREE
COCHLOSPERMUM RELlGIOSUM (L.) Alston in Trimen, Hand-book F.
Ceylon, 6, 14 (1931).
Syn. Bombax religiosum Linnaeus, Sp. PI. I, 552 (17 53)-Bombax
Gossypium Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. 12th ed. 2, 457 (I767)-Coch!o-
spermum Gossypium De Candolle, Prodr. 1,587 (1824) ; Hooker f.,
Fl. Brit. India, I, 190 (1872).
The generic name is from the Greek KOXXta~ [kochlias]
"snail, anything spirally twisted," r:T7ripfJ.a [sperm a]
" seed"; the epithet reltgiosum (referring to the gods)
refers to its decorating the grounds of temples in Ceylon
and southern India.

Description.-The Yeliow Silk-cotton Tree is usually

a small or medium-sized tree, averaging from 8 to 18 ft.
in height. Its erect trunk, sometimes thicker than a man's
 PLATE VI

YELLOW SILK-COTTON TREE

Cochlospermum religiosum
CochlosjJMmum] YELLOW SILK·COTTON 39
body, and covered with smooth ash-coloured bark, supports
a heavy crown of numerous branches. The young
branches are covered with a soft fine down and marked
with great scars of the fallen leaves. The leaves are
scattered about the ends of the branches. They are
smooth and bright green above and grey below, from a
covering of whitish down. The leaf is borne on a long
thick stalk; it measures from 3 to 8 in. across the blade
and may have from 3 to 5 pointed lobes. The buds

appear in small clusters at the end of the branches. Their

much contorted, close-packed petals are cupped in a
calyx composed of 5 silky overlapping sepals, which are
shed when the buds open. The leafless branches are
then decked in a glory of large golden-yellow flowers.
They stand out against the dark boughs and provide
a brilliant note of fresh colour to the bare stony hillsides
where these trees mainly flourish. The flower has
5 bluI,ltly-oval spreading petals with deeply cleft or
irregular margins. The stamens are free and numerous,
forming with their long red-gold anthers a dense cluster
in the centre of the bloom. The dark brown pod is
almost as large as a goose's egg. It measures about
2 to 3 in. in diameter, has 5 lobes and contains numerous
kidney-shaped seeds embedded in soft silky wool.
Leaf-shedding, flowering andfruiting.-The leaves are shed
during the cold season. The flowers appear about the
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cochlospermum

beginning of the hot season, at which time the tree is

destitute of leaves, but these soon follow the flowers,
The fruit ripens in May and June, the seeds being carried
long distances by the strong winds which are often
prevalent before or at the beginning of the rains.
Distribution.- Western sub-Himalayan tract from the
Sutlej eastwards up to 3000 ft., Chota Nagpur, Bundel-
khand, the drier parts of the Indian Peninsula, and the
dry region of Burma. Characteristic of dry hilly country,
occupying the hottest and stoniest slopes. Often planted
in gardens and near temples. The tree does not occur
near Bombay, though quite common in the Khandesh
Satpuras and in the hills about Belgaum. It thrives well
in gardens and is quick growing. Branches stuck into the
ground root easily in wet weather.
Economic ualue.- The Santals prepare a good, useful
cordage fibre from the bark of the tree. The bark abounds
in a transparent gum which is largely used by the Indian
shoemakers.
The leaves are used for the curious rude leaf-bellows
with which the natives of the hills near the Assam valley
smelt iron.
The cotton of the pods is used for stuffing pillows.
The seeds yield by hot expression large amounts of a
bright red oil.
The wood is soft, and used for firewood and for
torches.
Domestic uses.-In the Sambalpur district the wood
immersed in water for eight days and the water strained
off, mixed with flour and fried, is considered a nutritious
food. In Celebes, the seeds are roasted and eaten; young
leaves are used to make a cooling wash for the hair.
Medicinal properties and uses.- The gum has the properties
in a mild degree of Tragacanth, for which it is proposed
as a substitute. It is also used as a mild demulcent in
coughs. The floss has been recommended as admirably
suited for padding bandages, splints, etc., being soft and
cool. On this account it has been suggested as suitable
for pillows and cushions used in hospitals, etc. The dried
leaves and flowers are used as stimulants.
 1 I. ),("I I()\\' Silk-c()llO!} Tl L"C (CochlOSPClltl lllll r,./ig iOSllm j .

If,-I' C;.Cr ulI

12. Fl oWL" l s of lhe Yl"lI ow Silk -m ll()!) Tree (Coch/o.ljJO"lllUIIl rdi.l!iosllm).
Cochlospermum] YELLOW SILK-COTTON
Vernacular names.-Arabic: Katira; Bengal: Goigol ; Betul: Galgal,
Ganiar; Bhil: Ganeri; Canarese: Arasinaburaga, Arisinaburuga,
Bettatavare, Buruga, Gagili, Kaduburaga; Chota Nagpur: Sisibaha,
Udal; English: Yellow Silk-cotton Tree; Gond: Gangam, Ganiar;
Gujerati: Kadachogund; Rasada: Hupudaru; Hindi: Gabdi,
Galgal, Gangal, Ganiar, Gejra, Kurnbi; Kolami: Golgal, Hupu ;
Lambadi: Hogbara; Madras: Hill Cotton Tree; Malayalam:
Appakutakka, Chern panni, Cbirnappanoi, Panninara, Parapanni;
Marathi: Galgal, Ganer, Ganeri, Ganglay, Gongal, Gulgul, Gunglay,
Kathalyagonda; Naguri: Galgaldaru; Nimar: Galgal, Ganiar;
North- Western Provinces: Gajra, Kumbi; Persian : Gone, Kathira-i-
hindi, Kokamara; Punjab: Kumbi; Saharallpur: Arlu, Gejra;
Santali: Hopo; Sa ora : Onkur; Sinhalese: Elaimbul, Kinihiriya ;
Tamil: Kannigaram, Kattilavu, KattoJaga, Kattupanju, Kattu-
parutti, Kongilam, Kongu, Kurnarai, Malaiparutti, Manjardanakku,
Nalol, Pachaigiluvai, Palini, Panjittanakku, Pinar, Sudinar, Tanakku,
Turumorbalam; Telugu: Adaviburaga, Akshotamu, Buraga, Gungu,
Kondagogu, Kongu, Parijatamu, Pratti; Urdu: Katira; Uriya:
Beniyamrydami, Ganiari, Konokopolaso, Kontopolas, Pobosokoniari ;
Bali: Fjanigarath.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Cotton Shellseed.
 COLVILLE'S GLORY
COLVILLEA RACEMOSA Bojer in Bot. Mag. 61, tt. 3325-26 (1834).
This leguminous tree belongs to the family Caesal-
piniaceae. The name Colvillea honours a distinguished
Scottish soldier, one of Wellington's best officers in the
Napoleonic wars, Sir Charles Colville (1770-1843), who
was Commander-in-Chief at Bombay from 1819 to 1825-
and Governor of Mauritius from 1828 to 1834. The
epithet racimosa (full of clusters) refers to the flowers
being arranged in profuse racemes.
Description.-A moderate-sized tree 40 to 50 ft. high
with spreading branches. In general form and from the
character of its foliage it might be easily mistaken for the
Gul Mohur (Delonix regia). The leaves of the two trees
are very similar. In the present species, the leaf is com-
posed of from 20 to 30 pinnae or minor leaves- a Gul
Mohur leaf has only I I to 18. The pinnae bear 20 to
28 pairs of small elliptical leaflets arranged opposite
each other. In the Gul Mohur these leaflets are more
oblong.
The flowers are very curious and striking. In the
bud they are almost nut-like in form and appear in large
drooping clusters, the buds diminishing in size as they
approach the end of the raceme. The sepals are more
or less obliquely shaped in outline and sharply pointed.
Externally they are silky to the touch. Their colour
ranges from bright orange to red. Internally they are
smooth and creamy. The standard petal of the flower
is the smallest and not the largest as is usual. It is orange-
red, and is flanked by two very long narrow erect wing'
petals, deep red in colour. Opposite the standard petal
is the rudimentary boat-shaped keel petal. The 10,
stamens are free, 3 of them inserted below the standard,
2 under the wing petals, 1 under the keel, and 4 under
the ovary. The anthers are yellow. The clumps of
bright-coloured flowers among the feathery grey-green
 PLATE VII

COLVILLE'S GLORY

Colvillea racemosa
Colvillea] COLVILLE'S GLORY 43
foliage give the tree a very striking appearance. The
pod is 2-valved and round.
Flowering.-In India the tree flowers in July and
August, but in Madagascar it flowers in April or May.
It grows well in Bombay and flowers there in August
or September, the erect flower scapes being very noticeable,
standing well above the foliage. "Colville's Glory" is
an excellent name for this beautiful tree.
Distribution.-The only member of the genus Colvillea,
this endemic Madagascar species was discovered in 1824
by Bojer (see p. 53) near Majunga, where he found a
single cultivated tree of unknown provenance. He took
seeds to Mauritius and raised plants; thence it has been
introduced to India, the Hawaiian Islands, etc. According
to Prof. H. Humbert, it grows wild in south-eastern
Madagascar; the large dots on ' the map indicate its
general distribution.

~orOIS.

~~~~____~~~.~__~~~~ __~~______~M~a~u~nM't~im~~
~~ ~Reunion
rf'" 0 C E AN

Gardening.- It is suited to moist or moderately dry low

country, and is only propagated from seed. Though it
is well worthy of cultivation for its beautiful flowers and
foliage, it is seldom seen outside botanical gardens and
flower fanciers' collections.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Glory Colvillea.
 THE SCARLET CORDIA OR ALOE-WOOD
CORDIA SEBESTENA LintUUUS Sp. PI. I, I go (1753).
Cordia is named after Valerius Cordus (1515-44), an
ill-fated early German herbalist of genius, who died at
the age of twenty-nine but holds an honoured place in
the history of botany for the remarkable accuracy, detail

and clarity of his posthumously published descriptions of

plants. Sehestena is derived from the Persian word sapistan
applied to the fruit of an allied species which grows near
the town Sebesta.
The genus as commonly defined contains about 250
tropical and sub-tropical species; some are vines, some
herbaceous, some yield drugs, and others useful timbers
and others again bear edible fruits. The fruit of a
common Indian species, Cordia Myxa, is used in medicine
under the name of sehesten or sepistan, a term which, as
indicated above, gave the spe.cific name to the present
species. Cordia belongs to the family Boraginaceae.
The tree is rendered conspicuous in gardens by its
 PLATE VIII

SCARLET CORDIA

Cordia Sebestenlt
Cordia] SCARLET CORDIA 45
bunches or clusters of beautiful orange-scarlet flowers
which appear practically at all seasons of the year.
Description.- A tall evergreen shrub or small tree,
growing from 15 to go ft. in height. The leaves grow
alternately on the branches. They are from 4 to 6 in.
in length, large, oval or elliptic in shape and blunt at
the apex. The leaves are rough to the touch, being much
wrinkled, furrowed above and heavily ribbed below.

Young plants in fresh verdant green leaf are very hand-

some. The showy orange-red flowers appear in large
open clusters at the ends of the branches. The flower is
funnel-shaped, its tubular portion enclosed for half its
length in a heavily ribbed green calyx. Its petals are 6,
rounded and heavily wrinkled. There are 5 to 12 stamens
crowned with dull yellow elongate anthers which do not
protrude beyond the mouth of the corolla. The fruit is
It by i in. It is pure white and enclosed in a hazel-like
husk formed by the persistent calyx.
Flowering season.- January to March. But the tree
will be found in bloom throughout the year.
Gardening. - Propagated by cuttings of firm wood and
by seeds which are sown when quite fresh.
Native country.-Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and other
West Indian Islands.
Uses.-It is useful for decorative purposes.
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Cordia
Vernacular Mmes.- Canarese: Challekendala, Kempuchalle, Kendala;
English: Aloe-wood, Cuba Sebesten, Geiger Tree, Scarlet Cordia,
Sebesten Tree; French: Sebestier; Tamil: Achinaruvili, Ponna-
ruvili; Telugu: Virigi.
Standardised plant Mme, U.S.A.-Geigertree Cordia.
PLATE IX

SACRED BARNA

Crataeva Nurvala
 THE SACRED BARNA
CRATAEVA NURVALA Buchanan-Hamilton in Trans. Linn. Soc.
London, 15, 121 (1827).
Syn. Capparis trifoliata Roxburgh, Hortus Beng. 41 (1814) name only,
Fl. Ind. ed. alt. 3, 571 (1832).
Crataeva commemorates Cratevas (Krateuas), an
obscure Greek writer on plants in the first century B.C.,
who was physician to Mithridates. His writings are
known to-day only from a few fragments preserved in
the works of later authors. He is reputed to have been
a skilled artist; some of the drawings of plants in a
fifth-century manuscript, Codex Vindobonenis, may be copies
of drawings by Cratevas. Nurvala is a Southern Indian
vernacular name.
This plant belongs to the Capparidaceae or Caper
family. It ' has long been known under the name C.
religiosa Forst. in India, being described as 'such in Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, I, 172 (1872), but that name belongs to a
totally different Polynesian tree.
Description.- The Sacred Barna is a small tree with a
much branched head of glossy foliage, its leaves clustering
mainly towards the ends of the branches. The tree sheds
its leaves during the cold weather. The leaf is trifoliolate.
It is composed of 3 leaflets growing on a long slender
stalk which may be from It to 3 in. in length. The
leaflets are from 2 to 6 in. long. Their shape'varies from
oval to lance-shaped or they taper to a fine point. They
are covered with a network of veins, smooth on both
surfaces, glossy above and pale, almost white below.
The young leaves appear with or sometimes before the
flowers. The tree is very handsome when in full bloom.
The flowers grow in dense greenish-white clusters at
the ends of the branches. Each cluster is borne upon
a sturdy stalk. The sepals of the flowers are small, oval
and pointed at the apex. They are green when young,
fading to pale pink or yellow. The white petals also
fade to yellow. They measure I by t in. There is a very
47
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Crataeva

narrow petal claw ! in. in length. A bunch of long,

thread-like spreading stamens protrudes from the flower.
They are much longer than the petals and purple or
white when young, lilac when old. The Sacred Barna
is one of a class of plants which is called gynophorous,
which means that it bears its ovary at the end of a long
stalk. The gynophore in the present species appears
like a lilac thread 2 in. long with the swollen ovary at
the tip. When the petals fall away the thread-like
gynophore remains; it thickens and bears a globular
woody fruit which contains numerous brown, nearly
smooth seeds.
Distribution.- Throughout most parts of India and
Burma, wild or cultivated. Often found along streams,
but sometiI!les occurs almost gregariously on dry, deep
boulder formations in the sub-Himalayan tract from the
Ravi eastwards. A favourite tree near temples and
tombs. It is a common tree in:Bombay, where it is known
as " Wai-warna." .
Leaf-shedding, flowering and jruiti'ng.- The tree is leafless
in the cold season, ' the new leaves appear~ng in February
and March. The )landsome lax-clustered flowers, white,
turning yellowish ot p·ale pink, having numerous prominent
stamens with purple filaments, appear in March to May
(December to April in· Southern India ?), and the fruit,
a hard-rinded many-seeded berry, I . to 2 in. in diameter,
ripens in the rains (about August in Northern India).
The seeds are about 1 in. in diameter, somewhat com-
pressed, helicoid-reniform or irregularly circular, dark
brown; testa hard but splitting readily along a suture
round the seed. The coloured plate shows a rounded
gall in the lower right hand corner; this occurs frequently
and is easily mistaken for the fruit.
Gardening.- Although often found in moist shady places
the tree is more a light..demander than a shade-bearer.
I t is partial to loose deep alluvial soil near streams, while
its long taproot enables it to grow on deep boulder
formations where water is at some depth. It is sensitive
to frost, at all events in its early stages. It produces
root-suckers freely.
16. The Sacred B(lrna (C'ralacl'o Nllrl'aia ).
Cralaeva] SACRED BARNA 49
Two conditions favourable for natural reproduction
are bare ground and sufficient moisture. Seed scattered
in grass or among weeds both on moist and on dry
gr.ound, or in dry situations on bare soil, persistently
faIled to germinate, while if scattered on moist bare ground
it germinated both in the open and under dense shade,

though in the latter case the shade soon killed off the
seedlings.
Seed should be sown at the time of ripening, in the
rains, on deep loose soil kept sufficiently watered, or
in deep pots or boxes, and transplanted during the
following rains. The seed may not germinate, even if
kept regularly watered, until about Mayor June of
the year after sowing, in which case the plants will
be ready for transplanting about August or early
September; they are then ordinarily about 3 to 6 in.
high. Owing to the long taproot care is necessary in
transplanting.
Economic value.-Wood is yellowish-white, when old
turning light brown, moderately hard, even-grained.
Used for drums, models, writing-boards, combs, and in
G
50 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Crataeva

turnery. In Trichinopoly it is also used for making

planks and as firewood.
The fruit is edible.
The pulp mixed with mortar makes a cement, and
the rind is used as a mordant in dyeing.
Medicinal properties and uses.-The bark is demulcent,
antipyretic, sedative, alterative, and tonic; and the fresh
leaves and root-bark are rubefacient.
The bark is useful in some cases of urinary complaints
and fever, and in some mild forms of skin diseases in
which sarsaparilla is generally resorted to. It also relieves
vomiting and other symptoms of gastric irritation. The
fresh leaves and root-bark, particularly the former, are
very efficacious in all the affections in which mustard
poultice is indicated.
" Bruised well with a little vinegar, lime-juice or hot
water and applied to the skin in the form of a poultice
or paste, the fresh leaves of C. religiosa (C. Nurvala) act
as a rubefacient and vesicant so efficiently that I do not
hesitate in saying that they are not only much superior
to the mustard seeds in this country, but also quite equal,
if not superior, to the flour of that drug imported from
Europe. From 5 to 10 or 15 minutes is the time required
for them to produce their full effect as a rubefacient,
and if kept longer than this in contact with the skin
they begin to act as a vesicant. The existence of one
or two plants of C. religiosa (C. Nurvala) in each Hospital
or Dispensary garden will certainly save them from the
cost of the supply of European mustard for external use.
" The fresh root-bark of this plant is also a very good
rubefacient and vesicant, but it is rather too dear and
not procurable in large quantities. The bark of the stem
is very thick (from I to 2 in. when fresh, and from t to
I in. when dry), greenish-brown on the outer side, and
grey or pale-white internally and on the inner side, and
almost tasteless and odourless. It is one of those barks
which can easily be reduced to a coarse powder
immediately after its removal from the stem" (Moodeen
Sheriff).
The bark of the stem and root of this plant constitute
Crataeva] SACRED BARNA

the principal medicine of the Hindu pharmacopreia for

calculus affections. It is said to promote the appetite,
decrease the secretion of the bile, act as a laxative and
remove disorders of the urinary organs.
In Bombay, the leaves are used as a remedy for
swelling of the feet and a burning sensation in the soles
of the feet. The leaf-juice is given in rheumatism in the
Konkan, in doses of t to 3 tolas, mixed with coconut
juice and Ghi. In caries of the bones of the nose, the
leaf is smoked and the smoke exhaled through the nose.
The bark and the leaf pounded and tied in a cloth are
used as a fomentation in rheumatism.
The bruised roots, leaves and seeds are applied to the
wounds in snake-bite. Neither the bark nor the leaves
is an antidote to either snake or scorpion venom (Caius
and Mhaskar).
Popular beliefs.- This tree is found planted near tombs
in severa] different parts of the world.
Popular names.- Bengal: Barun, Tiktoshak, Varona; Bombay:
Bhatavarna, Hadavarna, Kawan, Kumla, Vayavarna, Waruna;
Burma: Kadat, Kadet, Katat; Canarese: Bilpatri, Bitusi, Hodde-
lenage, Mavilinga, Narave, Neravambele, Nerave1e, Nervala, Tude-
madirenge, Vitusi; Central Provinces: Bel, Bela; Chinese: Pa Yeh;
Coorg: Nerajane, Nirajani, Nerujani, Vittasi, Vitusi; Gujerati:
Varno, Vayavarno; Hansot: Kagdakeri ; Hindi: Barna, Barua,
Barun, Bila, Bilasi, Biliana, Varuna, Varvunna; Konkani: Nervol;
Lao: Mai fuk koom; Lepcha: Purbong; Malay: Cadat; Malay-
alam: Kili, Niravila, Nirumaliyan, Varana, Vitusi; Marathi:
Haravarna, Karvan, Kumla, Nirvala, Ramala, Varun, Vayavarna;
Mechi: Bunboronda, Tailadu; Punjab: Barna, Barnahi; Rajputana :
Barna, Barnahi; Saharampur: Barna, Bilarsi, Brarka; Sanskrit:
Ajapa, Ashmarygna, Barhapushpa, Kumaraka, Mahakapittha,
Marutapaba, Pasunadha, Sadhuvriksha, Setuka, Shikhimandala,
Shvetadruma, Tamala, Tiktashaka, U rumana, Varuna, Vasaha;
Sinhalese: Lunuwarana; Tamil: Adicharanam, Adimalam, Anjani,
Inaivilai, Kattumavilangai, Kavilam, Maluram, Maralingam, Mavi-
langai, Miguttiyal, Narvala, Nilluvam, Nirumaliyam, Periamavilangai,
Shuppigam, Shuvedan, Sinnamavilingam, Tiriburamerittan,Varanam,
Villuvam; Telugu: Bilvaram, Chinnavulimidi, Magalingam, Maredu,
Peddamagalingam, Peddavulimidi, Tellavulimidi, Ulimidi, Urumudu,
Usiki; Urdu: Barna; Uriya: Barun, Boryno, Varuna.
 THE GUL MOHUR OR FLAMBOYANT
DELONIX REGIA (Bojer) Rajinesque, Fl. Tellur, 2,92 (1836).
Syn. Poinciana regia Bojer in Bot. Mag. 56, t. 2884 (1829).
For the derivation of Delonix, see below. Poinciana
was named after a M. de Poinci, governor of the French
Antilles in the mid-seventeenth century.
The origin and derivation of the name" Gul Mohur "
is difficult to trace. " Gul" means "rose or flower"
and "Mor" is the Hindustani name for "peacock."
The English name of Bengal or Royal Gold Mohur is
also applied to this tree. Mr C. E. C. Fischer of Kew
considers the name Gold Mohur is a corruption of the
vernacular epithet" Gulmohr" (anglice- Peacock-rose).
The word " Mohur" may have been adopted from that
of an old Indian coin or seal.
The tree was growing at Sewree (Bombay) about
1840 (? 1846 or 1848)- vide footnote on p. 114, Vol. I,
of the Gazetteer of Bombay City and Island by the late S. M.
Edwardes, c.v.o., C.S.I.
Description.-A large deciduous tree, growing from
40 to 50 ft. in height with spreading branches and very

handsome feathery leaves. The foliage is particularly

beautiful when the tree is young and the airy elegance
of its leaves more in evidence. The leaves may attain a
length of 2 ft. The leaf is composed of from I I to 18
Delonix] GUL MOHUR 53
pinnae or minor leaves arranged in pairs along the mid-
rib. The pinnae bear from 20 to 30 pairs of small oblong
leaflets, each measuring ~ to ~ by to to l in. The tree
sheds its leaves between February and March and during
this period, which immediately precedes its flowering
season, it stands gaunt and bare save for the long, sabre-
like seed pods, hanging from its leafless branches. The
young leaves appear towards the end of Mayor early
in June, and by the time the rains are well established,
the tree is once again covered with its feathery foliage.
The flowers appear with the onset of the hot weather,
a few at first, then more and yet more till by mid-May
the tree is a vivid and brilliant mass of scarlet blooms.
The flowers are arranged in immense racemes at the ends
of the branches. Individually examined, each flower is
seen to be composed of 4 scarlet petals, while the fifth,
the standard petal, is slightly larger in size and much
variegated in colour. It is yellow or white and usually
streaked with red. The flowers vary considerably in
intensity of colouring. A whole range of tones from
orange-vermilion to deep scarlet is exhibited. The deep
scarlet form is particularly handsome. Each petal appears
as a rounded spoon-shaped blade with a delicately crinkled
margin. Its base is long and narrow, technically.described
as clawed. The petals emerge from between 5 fleshy
scarlet-faced sepals which constitute the calyx. The
stamens protrude in a cluster of 10 red filaments, surround-
ing a tender green style. The whole flower measures
about 4 in. across.
Flowers during the hot weather.
Fruit.- The pods are green and flaccid when young.
They harden with age, turn a deep brown and remain
for a long time on the tree. They measure 1 to 2 ft. in
length. The seeds are oblong and transversely mottled.
History and Distrihution.- This species was first made
known by Wenzel Bojer (1797- I 856), an Austrian botanist
who went out to Mauritius in 1821 and from there made
collecting expeditions to Madagascar and other islands,
by which many fine plants, among them Delonix regia
and Colvillea racemosa, were introduced into cultivation.
54 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Delonix

He found the Flamboyant in 1828 at Foul Point on the

east coast of Madagascar. A fine coloured plate by
Bojer was published in the Botanical Magazine, t. 2884,
under the name Poinciana regia, in 1829. Bojer introduced
it into Mauritius, whence it soon found its way to India.
At Foul Point it does not reproduce itself of its own
accord and is evidently a tree introduced from elsewhere.
Its original home, though presumed to be Madagascar,

100 0 '00
M M .

Sketch map of Madagascar showing Antsingy forest reserve (marked I),

the native home of Delonix (Poinciana) regia.

long remained unknown. As recently as June 1932

H. Perrier de la Bathie, an authority on the flora of
Madagascar, expressed doubt as to its being a native of
the island, although he suggested at the same time that
it might be an ancient endemic species of Madagascar
which had become extinct as a wild plant, since much of
the original forest vegetation of Madagascar has now
been destroyed. However, in October 1932 J. Leandri
found the Flamboyant undoubtedly indigenous in the
forest reserve of Antsingy at two places, where it grew
on steep calcareous rocks; if. Leandri in Bull. Mus.
Nat. Rist. Nat. (Paris), II, 5, 414 (1933), 8, 568 (1936).
Thjs region of western Madagascar is far removed from
 PLATE X

GUL MOHUR or FLAMBOYANT

D elonix regia
Delonix] GUL MOHUR 55
the place in eastern Madagascar where Bojer first dis-
covered the Flamboyant, and to which it seems to have
been introduced by the Arabs. According to Decary,
the Arabs, who colonised part of the coast of Madagascar
from the ninth or tenth century onwards, probably
introduced it first to the region of Anorontsangana where
it still persists among the ruins of ancient settlements.
From here it was carried to the north-eastern side of
Madagascar where the Arabs likewise had possessions,
thus arriving at Foul Point, where Bojer found it. Now
it is cultivated throughout the Tropics.
Bojer's plate in the Botanical Magazine, 56, t. 2884
(1829), came to the notice of an American botanist with
a craze for naming new genera, Constantine Samuel
Rafinesque (1783-1840), who, accordingly, proposed a
new genus for it in his Flora Telluriana, 2, 92 (dated
" 1836," but first published in 1837; reprinted 1946).
His account is as follows : -
" 350. DELONIX R. (evident claw). Legum. diff.
Poinciana, Cal. eq. non fornic. Pet. 5, subeq. unguis
longissimis, limbo, crenatis flabellatis. Starn. 10 ineq.
glabris declinatis.- D. regia Raf. Poinciana regia Hook. b.m.
2884. inermis, fo1. bipin. ovatobl. muticis. A beautiful
tree of Madagascar, with large scarlet flowers. The G.
Poinciana DC. separated from Caesalpinia is American with
uneq. cal. hooded, petals unequal, stamens hairy, etc."
This extract well illustrates Rafinesque's rather scrappy
method of publication, his telegram style and use of
abbreviations. He never missed an opportunity to split
old genera and to propose new names, a number of which
have been found to be justified. A more detailed descrip-
tion of the genus Delonix will be found in J. S. Gamble's
Flora of the Presidency of Madras, I (3), 396 (19 1 9)'
It is technically distinguished from Poinciana in having
the calyx-lobes not imbricate but valvate (i.e. touching
along the sides in bud without overlapping). The name
Delonix is from the Greek O~AO~ [de16s] conspicuous,
gJluf [onux] "claw, nail, anything shaped like a claw
or nail, e.g. the base of a rose-petal," and alludes to the
long-clawed petals.
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Deloni>:

Cultivation.-The tree is largely grown throughout the

tropics for decorative purposes and as a shade tree. It
grows freely in good soil, thriving best under fairly dry
conditions, especially near the sea; but great attention
must be paid to pruning if a good head is to be developed.
Usually grown from seed, it is also raised from cuttings.
The form with deep scarlet flowers is so handsome that
it deserves wider propagation. As the seeds may not
come true to colour, it would be advisable to make
cuttings of this variety, of which there are a good number
in and around Bombay. The Gul Mohur is a fast-growing
tree. It has spreading superficial roots which kill out
other plants. The shallow root system unfortunately
renders it liable to be blown down during storms.
The Gul Mohur is often confused with the Peacock
Flower or Barbados Pride (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), better
known as Poinciana pulcherrima, and often referred to in
this country as the Gold Mohur Shrub. This plant is
a shrub or at most only a small tree, with calyx segments
strongly overlapping in the bud, much smaller flowers
and protruding stamens several times as long as the petals.
It is the type-species of the genus Poinciana and as it is
now placed in Caesalpinia by most botanists, the name
Poinciana has accordingly become a synonym of Caesalpinia.
Hence the adoption of the generic name Delonix for the
Gul Mohur.
Economic value.- The tree yields a gum in irregular
granular or warty tears of a yellowish or reddish-brown
colour; it is soluble in water, forming a thick opalescent
mucilage.
The wood is white, light-28 lb. per cubic foot-soft,
loose-grained, and takes a fine polish.
The Gul Mohur makes a useful avenue tree, especially
when planted alternately with a good shady tree.
One of the compensations of the hot weather in the
plains of India is the profusion of beautiful flowering trees
and perhaps one of the most conspicuous, from April to
June, is the Gul Mohur.
Vernacular names.-In Madagascar, the tree is called
Flamboyant and by some Flame of the Forest, a name
Delonix] GUL MOHUR 57
which appears to be given to several trees in this country,
including the Coral Tree (Erythrina indica) described
on p. 63, but we consider, in India, the name is
particularly and only applicable to the Palas or Dhak
tree (Butea monosperma).
The Ashanti name" sempowadua" or "threepence
tree" was given because the seeds of this tree were
originally sold in the Sunyani district for 3d. each.
Ashanti: Sempowadua, Sempowarma; Betsimisaraka: Tanaho;
Canartse: Doddaratnagandhi, Kattikayi; English: Fire Tree,
Flame Tree, Gold Mohr, Gold Mohur, Gul Mohur, Royal Gul
Mohur, Royal Peacock Flower; French: Flamboyant; Malayalam:
Alasippu; Marathi: Gulmohr; Philippines: Arbol del fuego;
Sakalave : Volotsara; Tamil: Mayirkkondrai, Mayirgondrai, May-
uram, Panjadi, Perumayirgondrai, Vadanarayanan; Telugu: Etta-
turayi, Peddaseribiseri, Peddaturayi, Simasankeswaramu, Turayi;
Tulu: Kodu.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Flamboyant Tree.

THE WHITE GUL MOHUR

DELONIX ELATA (L. ) Gamble, Fl. Madras r, 396 (19 19).
Syn. Poinciana elata Linnaeus, Amoen. Acad. 4, 3 1 3 (1759); Hooker,
FI. Brit. India, 2, 260 ( 1878).
The epithet iliita means" 10fty, talL"
Description.-An erect tree growing 20 to 30 ft. in
height with a tolerably smooth ash-coloured bark. The
leaves are similar in character but smaller than those of
D. regia, being 4 to 8 in. long. The main or mid-rib of
the leaf carries a smaller number of minor ribs or pinnae;
there are from 4 to 8 pairs arranged opposite. The
leaflets, almost stalkless, are closely set in from 10 to
20 pairs along the ribs. Their shape is linear-oblong,
somewhat pointed at the apex. They are quite smooth
and readily shed. The flowers grow at the end of the
branches in racemes. There are not many flowers in each
cluster. The stalks of the lowest flowers are longest, thus
all the flowers forming the cluster come up to the same
level (corymbiform). The pedicels or stalks of the flowers
are downy (pubescent). The calyx, i to I in. long, is
leathery and, like the stalk, covered with a silky down
externally. The sepals or segments of the calyx are
H
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Delonix

oblong, very narrow and sharp-pointed. The petals are

white at first and then change to yellow. The upper
petal is usually smaller and of a deeper colour than the
others. The petals do not project much beyond the
calyx; in shape they are almost round (sub-orbicular)
and very much curled at the margins. The stamens are
downy, dark coloured, 2 to 4 in. long, and thickened at
the base. The pods measure 5 to 7 in. by! to t in. They
are smooth, narrowed at both ends and marked with a
network of veins. The seeds number 4 to 8.
Flowering season.-August-March (Brandis); June-
September (Cooke); in the hot season or early rains
(Troup); therefore practically the whole year. Troup
calls it a practically evergreen tree.
Distribution.-Abyssinia, Arabia, in India perhaps
indigenous in the Porebunder State. Cultivated in
many parts of India.
Gardening.-Capable of growing in poor dry soil, even
in crevices of rocks, where, however, it is stunted. Often
cultivated for ornament. It grows fast and is easily
raised from seed.
Commonly planted as an avenue tree in Indo-China.
It was introduced into the Botanical Garden of Calcutta
in 1792 and 1799.
Economic value.-The tree yields a dark coloured and
mucilaginous but unimportant gum.
The leaves and twigs are employed in Madras as a
manure.
The wood is yellow, close, and even-grained, easily
worked; gives a smooth surface; warps slightly, but
does not crack ; weight, when seasoned, 45 to 47 lb. per
cubic foot. It is well suited for cabinet work.
The tree has been successfully used as a protection
for the footings of rivers and channel banks, where it is
wanted not to spread laterally and to cause obstructions.
Medicinal uses.-There is a popular belief that the
touch of the root removes the pain of a scorpion sting.
Vernacular nanus.-Bombay: Vayni; Canarese: Kempukenjiga,.
Nirangi, Sonkesari, Sunkanthemara; English: Creamy Peacock
Flower, Tiger Bean, White Gul Mohur; French: Flamboyant ~
 PLATE XI

WHITE GUL MOHUR

Delonix elata
 .
Delonix]
Gujerati:
WHITE GUL MOHUR
Sandesra; Indo-China: Diep tay, Kangok, Xoan tay;
59

Marathi: Sandesra, Sankasura; Tamil: Padenarayan, Pandenaryan,

Perungondrai, Vadanarayanan, Varatti; Telugu: Chilikeswarapu,
Chinnaseribiseri, Chittikeswaramu, Sunkeswar, Sunkeswaram, Sunke-
varamu, Vatanarayana; Uriya: Simamondaro.

CAESALPINIACEAE

They are mostly trees and shrubs with pinnate leaves

and handsome, irregular flowers. They are chiefly grown
for their showy flowers and also for their attractive finely
divided foliage.
In the tropics, and also in subtropical climates, these
shrubs and trees are always admired and are commonly
planted for ornament, as Delonix, Peltophorum, Cassia,
Saraca, Baulzinia, Amlzerstia, Coluillea. The family takes its
name from the genus Caesalpinia, which commemorates
the Italian philosopher, botanist and mineralogist Andrea
Cesalpino ( I 5 I 9- 1603), author of De Plantis Lihri xv
(15 83).
It belongs to the Order Leguminosae (see p. 78). Before
their introduction into general cultivation such remark-
able and distinct plants as Amherstia, Coluillea and Delonix
regia were extremely limited in range and possibly
approaching extinction.
 THE LARGE-FLOWERED DILLENIA
DILLENIA INDICA Linnaeus, Sp. PI. I, 535 (1753); Hooker f., Fl.
Brit. India, I, 36 (1872) ; Hoogland in Blumea, 7, 108 (1952).
An erect evergreen tree which in favourable localities
grows to a height of 30 or 40 ft. Its spreading branches
form a rounded crown of handsome bright green foliage.
The bark is smooth, red and moderately thick. It peels
off in small hard scales. The leaves grow at the ends of
the branches. The leaf-stalk is channelled, about I to
2 in. long, its base partially encircling the supporting
branch. An average leaf is 8 to 12 in. long and 4 in.
in breadth. It is oblong lance-shaped with a finely
pointed apex and sharply toothed margin. The close-set
nerves running in regular parallel lines to the marginal
teeth give the leaves a beautiful deeply fluted surface.
The upper part of the leaf and the nerves beneath are
covered with fine hairs . . The large fragrant white flowers
appear singly at the ends of the branches. They may
exceed 6 in. in diameter. The club-shaped stalk of the
flower is 3 in. long, round and smooth. The calyx is
composed of five fleshy, rounded, concave sepals, which
persist and form the outer covering of the fruit. The
five large petals are oblong and heavily crinkled. The
numerous stamens form a yellow crown round the white
spreading rays of the stigma. The fruit is large and hard.
With the sepals which surround it it measures from
3 to 4 in. across. Internally it is fleshy and its many
flat seeds are embedded in a glutinous pulp.
Flowers.-The flowers appear in June and July.
Distribution.-Moist and evergreen forests of the eastern
sub-Himalayan tract, Assam and Burma, and of the
Indian Peninsula, extending also to Indo-China, Borneo
and Java. Chiefly along tropical forest streams and
rivers and other damp places, on deep rich moist soil.
The fruits are buoyant in water, and those which
drop into the streams from the trees along their banks
are carried down until stranded. Wild elephants eat
the fruits, and are possible agents in the spread of the
l5a
 PLATE XlI

LARGE-FLOWERED DILLENlA

Dillenia indica
,nilleniaJ LARGE-FLOWERED DILLENIA 61

seed. Under ordinary conditions, however, the seed has

no means of escaping from the fruit owing to the rigid
covering of the thickened sepals, and Nature's method
of overcoming the difficulty is interesting. The fruit on
reaching the ground quickly turns brown, decays and,
in the hot season, shrivels into dry masses. White ants
eat out the interior and fill the dry shell with earth. The
seeds, however, remain untouched, and at the commence-
ment of the rains they germinate in the earth accumulated
by the white ants, and the seedlings burst through the
many cracks and joints of the dried shell.
Gardening.-The plants are propagated from seed sown
during the rains, in June and July; they propagate with
difficulty from cuttings. The tree reproduces satisfactorily
from coppice-shoots, as in the Holongapar coppice coupes
in Assam. The growth is moderately fast. The tree
cannot be cultivated on the hills in Northern India.
Economic uses.-The tree is planted as an ornament;
it is the showiest of the whole family, being equally
attractive in foliage, flower and fruit.
Both the Tassar (Tussore) and Atlas moth silk-worms
are said to feed upon the leaves.
The bruised bark is used for tanning.
The wood is red with white specks, close-grained,
moderately hard, durable under water, weighing 40 to 45
lb. a cubic foot. It is used to make helves and gun-stocks,
and in construction. It makes good firewood and charcoal.
Domestic uses.- The fruit, as it hangs upon the tree,
resembles enormous green apples of the size nearly of a
child's head. They are gathered for use when full grown.
The part made use of for the table is not the fruit itself
but the large, thickened sepals of the calyx, by which it
is firmly enclosed. Tasted raw these have the exact
flavour of a very sour unripe apple; and when cooked
with sugar they have also exactly the flavour of the same
fruit cooked in the same way. The great objection to
them is the large quantity of fibres they contain. They
are very 'commonly mixed as an ingredient in curries,
especially prawn-curries, to which they impart a most
agreeable flavour. They are also made into a pleasant
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Dillenia

jelly. The acid juice sweetened with sugar forms a

cooling drink.
Medicinal uses.-The bark and the leaves are astringent.
The bruised bark is applied as a cataplasm in arthritis.
The unripe fruit is said by Ayurvedists to be sour,
bitter, and pungent; the ripe fruit is described as sweet,
sour, tasty. The fruit regulates the heat of the body,
tones up the nervous system, dispels fatigue, and stops
abdominal pain.
Vernacular names.- As-tam: Chalita, Otengah; Bengal: Chalita,
Chalta, Hargesa, Ruvya; Bombay: Karambel, Mothakarmel,
Mothekaramala j Burma: Thabyu, Thibuta, Zinbrun, Zinpyunngan j
Canarese: Bettadakanagal, Bettakanigala, Ganagalu, Kadkanagula,
Kanagala, Kanigala, Neyitaku j Deccan: Mutakurmul j Garo:
Panpui; Gujerat: Karmbal, Otaphal; Hindi: Chalta, Chaltr,
Gilnar, Girnar j Indo-China: Dok shan, So ba; Kacltin: Masang;
Kolami: Korkotta; Konkani: Corombol j Lepcha: Kyangmozhu,
Phanisikol, Phan-se kung; Magahi: Chauralesi, Thapru; Malay:
Chimpuh, Simpoh; Malayalam : Chalita, Punna, Syalita, Valapunna;
]o.farathi: Karmbel, Motakarmal, Motakarmbal; MOllghyr: Chilta;
Mundari: Korkotadaru, Karkutadaru; Nepal: Panchkule, Panch-
phal, Ramphal; Sanskrit: Bhavya, Ruvya; Santal: Korkot,
Korkotta; Sinhalese: Houdapara, Wampara; Taleing: CarIlow;
Tamil: Alum, Ugakkay, Uva, Uvav, Uvatteku; Telugu: Kalinga,
Peddakalinga, Uvva; Uriya: Chalota, Oao, Ou, Rai, Uau.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-India Dillenia.
A
The genus was named by Linnaeus in honour of
Johann Jacob Dillenius (r684-1747), a German botanist
and professor at Oxford, author of important botanical
works; "Dillenia has of all plants the showiest flower
and fruit; Dillenius is likewise conspicuous among
botanists" (Linnaeus, Critica Bot., 80: 1737). It com-
prises about 55 species. Dillenias are all tropical trees
thriving in light sandy loam. The acid sepals and sweet
carpels of many of them are eaten, either raw or cooked,
and made into jellies and cooling drinks.
B
The Dilleniaceae are astringent and some are so
used medicinally. The fruits of a very few are acidulous;
others are reputed tonic stimulants.
.!:

6.
PLATE XIII

INDIAN CORAL TREE

Erythrina indica
 THE INDIAN CORAL TREE
1. ERYTHRINA INDICA Lamarck, Encycl. Meth. Bot. a, 391 (1788);
Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 188 (1876).
Description.- A moderate-sized tree, reaching 60 ft. in
height, with a straight trunk and numerous branches.
The branchlets are armed with small, dark-coloured
conical prickles up to third or fourth year. The bark is
thin, yellowish or greenish-grey, smooth, shining, with
longitudinal whitish cracks. It exfoliates or peels off in
papery flakes.
This figure illustrates the leaf, which is composed of
three leaflets, the terminal one being the largest. The
leaf stalks and leaves are without prickles. The leaflets

are covered with star-shaped hairs when young but are

hairless when mature. The flowers, which are large and
numerous, of a bright dazzling scarlet, growing in a single
or in several racemes, at the ends of the branchlets, appear
before the leaves and are arranged in clusters, one to three
blooms emerging from a common stalk.
The diagram on the next page illustrates the com-
position of the flower and the appearance of the bud.
The segments which form the calyx of the bud are fused
6J
 SOME BEAU IFUL TREES [Erythrilla

to form a tube which is narrowed at the apex and ends

in 5 points, 2 of which are distinct and extend beyond
the tip. When the bud opens the calyx splits down the
back to the base and forms an open sheath. The corolla,
it will be seen, is composed of 5 petals; an erect, oblong
standard which narrows at the base into a claw, two small
~. S/andal"ti
,- ~
,,
,,
/

wing petals and two, almost similar-sized, keel petals of

a distinctly darker hue. The wing petals partially enclose
the keel.
The stamens protrude for almost their entire length.
They are united into a bundle at the base; higher up,
the tenth stamen is distinct and free.
The pods, which are many, grow on a stout stalk and
attain a length of 5 to 12 in. They are somewhat curved,
constricted between the seeds, beaked at the tip, and
2 1. 'l'Ilf' COla] Trcl' in (i owt:J' \EI)'I/zrilla illdica ).
Erythrina] INDIAN CORAL TREE

narrow down to a seedless base. When dry they are

black and wrinkled. The pod contains from I to 12 seeds.
The seed is oblong, smooth; its colour varies from
red or dark red to purple or dark purple or brown.
In Vol. 33, p. 460 (1929), of the Journal of the Bombay
Natural History Sociery, Mr T. C. N. Singh has described
how the Mynahs (Acridotheres tristis tristis) promote pollina-
tion of the flowers of the Coral Tree in Lucknow. The
Editors have pointed out that in Western India a great
variety of birds are regular visitors of the Coral Tree when
in flower, contributing thus to its pollination. Among
the birds to be invariably met with, in addition to the
Mynah and the Crow, are mentioned the Rosy Starling
(Pastor roseus), Babblers (Turdoides, Pyctorhis, and Dumetia),
Drongo (Dicrurus) , Wren Warblers (Prinia socialis and
inornata) , Tailor Bird (Orthotomus sutorius) , Bulbuls (0 to-
compsa, Molpastes, Pycnonotus and Chloropsis) , Grey and
Black-headed Mynahs, Black-capped Blackbird (Merula
nigropileus), and the Tree Pie (Dendrocitta).
Flowers from February to May before the young leaves
appear.
Fruit ripens from May to July.
The old leaves are shed early in autumn.
Distribution.-Reported to be indigenous inland in
deciduous forests of Thana, the Konkan, North Kanara
and Malabar, and from the Sunderbunds along the coast
through Arakan, Pegu, Tenasserim, the Andamans and
Nicobars, Java, Polynesia. On the west coast it is found
above high water, and, according to Talbot, sometimes
associated with Calophyllum inophyllum, Salvadora persica,
Clerodendron inerme, Grewia microcos, Canavalia ensiformis,
Derris uliginosa. In the Andamans it grows together with
Mimusops littoralis, Calophyllum inophyllum, Thespesia pop-
ulnea, Terminalia Catappa, Heritiera littoralis, Ajz:.elia biJuga,
Pongamia glabra and Hibiscus tiliaceus (Troup). Haines
thinks it may be wild in Khurda, where the tree is very
common.
Otherwise this species is cultivated and self-sown all
over India; it occurs in hedgerows in Bengal.
Cultivation.-In Indian agriculture it has been employed
I
66 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Erythrina

from the most ancient times as a shade tree. It was a

universal belief that the soil benefits by its presence, and
it has been known for centuries that other leguminous
plants also have beneficent effects on the ground in which
they have been cultivated. The Romans were aware of
the fact that cereal crops grow better in soil which has
been under vetches the year before, and they made use
of the knowledge in their system of rotation. It was not
until about 1887 that the nodules on the roots ofleguminous
plants were found to contain large numbers of a living
organism often called Bacterium radicicola (a name covering
several races of Rlzizodium), which possesses the property
of fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
The tree is much used in India for the support of betel
pepper, black pepper, and grape vines; also as a prop
for the jessamine plant. In Reunion it is employed
to support the vanilla. What renders the tree very proper
for this purpose is its quick growth (from cuttings), its
firm, permanent, smooth bark, which gives a strong hold
to the roots of the vine, and, lastly, it is full of leaves
and very shady during the hottest months of the year,
so it shelters the vine from the intense heat of the sun
and keeps the ground moist. As soon as the hottest
weather is over, the leaves drop and expose the vine to
the sun and weather during the cool season.
In some districts of Bengal the Betel-nut Palms are
planted in groves of Erytlzrina indica. These enrich the
soil and afford shade from the intense heat and protection
from sudden wind storms. Coffee planters in Assam
appreciate, for the same reason, several species of Erytlzrina
(E. indica, E. subumbrans and E. suberosa). Also tea
plantations derive advantages from the presence of
Erythrina.
The Indian Coral Tree is adapted for ornamental
purposes, and for making hedges and fences; and, being
armed with numerous prickles, it serves as an excellent
hedge-plant to keep cattle from cultivated gardens.
The loppings are valuable as green manure.
It propagates readily from seeds or cuttings; cuttings
6 ft. long by 3 in. across root readily when planted.
Erythrina ] INDIAN CORAL TREE

The following varieties or forms of Erythrina indica are

grown in Indian gardens : -
Var. pieta (L.) Blatter and Millard in Journal Bombay Nat. Hist.
Soc. 33, 628 (1929). Syn. E. pieta Linnaeus (1753).
The leaves are variegated.
Var. Parcellii (Bull.) Blatter and Millard, l.e. (1929). Syn. E. Parcellii
Bull. (1874).
Has leaflets with variable yellow variegation. The
flowers are bright cinnamon-red.
This plant is very showy when young and is easily
propagated by cuttings.
Var. marmorata (Planchon) Blatter and Millard, I.e. (1929). Syn.
E. marmorata Veitch ex Planehon (1880).
It has large leaves attractively spotted with white.
Var. alba Blatter and Millard, l.c. (1929) .
This is a white-flowered form. Nairne (Flowering
Plants of Western India, p. 87) mentions it as occurring in
Salsette, near Bombay. We have seen a specimen in the
Victoria Gardens of Bombay.
Sir George Birdwood, in his book Sva (pp. 32-33),
mentions that the white variety of the pangri (Erythrina
indica) was first discovered near the ruined Hindu temple
at Chembur (near Trombay, Bombay Suburban District)
by a Mr Bhasker, the karbhari of the Victoria Gardens.
He claims that he himself was responsible for propagating
innumerable cuttings from this tree in the Victoria
Gardens, Bombay, and for distributing them widely, even
so far as Egypt.
According to him this was the only place in the world
where the white variety existed, and seemed to him, for
what reasons he does not state, "a distinct relic of the
ancient Buddhists, who, as their grove at Lanouli (W.
Ghats) shows, were enthusiastic arboriculturists."
In addition to the Victoria Gardens and other localities
in Bombay, the white variety may, at the present day,
be found growing in the Empress Gardens, and Bund
Gardens, Poona, and in the native lines at Satara.
.68 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Erythrina

Economic value.-The tree yields a dark brown gum of

little importance.
The bark is used in dyeing and tanning; it yields an
excellent cordage fibre of a pale straw colour.
The dried red flowers on being boiled yield a red dye.
The wood is light and soft, weighs 18 to 26 lb. per cubic
foot, fairly durable, does not warp or split, particularly
applicable to many purposes for which deal is employed.
In India it is used for making scabbards, light boxes,
toys, sieve frames, trays, planking, jars for household
purposes, and ware to be covered with lacquer. Carpenters
prefer it to all others for the poles of palanquins, and they
generally employ it for the construction of rafts, fishermen's
floats, canoes, and catamarans.
In Guam the wood is used for making troughs. In
Samoa the natives use it for the outriggers of their canoes.
Domestic uses.- The tender leaves are eaten in curry.
In the Trichinopoly district the leaves are used as a cattle
fodder. In Indo-China they are commonly used to wrap
minced meat. In Samoa the wood, when dead and dry,
is used for keeping fire in the houses, as it will smoulder
a long time without going out.
In Samoa and in other islands of the Pacific the natives
reckon the change of seasons by the flowering of this tree.
Medicinal properties and uses.-Various parts of the tree
are used by Ayurvedists. Sushruta recommends the plant
for the treatment of snake-bite, but Mhaskar and Caius
have shown experimentally that the root, the bark and
the leaves are equally useless in the antidotal treatment
of colubrine and viperine bites.
Popular beliifs.- The Indian Coral Tree is supposed
to flower in Indra's garden. An episode in the Puranas
relates the quarrels of Rukhmini and Satyabhama for
the possession of the flowers which Krishna had stolen
from the garden. The leaf is supposed to represent the
Hindu trimurti; the middle leaflet is Vishnu, on his right
is Brahma, and on his left Shiva. The Portuguese have
named them" Folhas da Trindade."
Vernacular names.- Bengal: Palitamadar, Palitamandar, Palteman-
dar; Berar: Pangara, Pangra; Bicol: Cabrab ; Burma: Kathit,
Erythrina] INDIAN CORAL TREE
Pinlekathit; Cachar: Madar; Canarese: Bilivarijapa, Halivana,
Halivara, Hongara, Hongaraka, Kempuvarijapa, Mandara, Mullu-
murige, Mullumutala, Nimbataru, Palivana, Parijata, Parivala,
Parivana, Salaki, Varijapa, Warjipe; Cantonese: Hoi T 'ing; Chinese :
Hai T'ung; Cuba: Pinon ; Cutch: Arduso; English; Bastard
Teak, East Indian Coral Tree, Indian Coral Tree, Mochi Wood,
Red Bean Tree; Formosa: Tz'u t'ung; French: Arbre a pois cafre,
Arbre au corail, Baracara, Bois de corail, Bois immortel, Bois rouge,
Colorin, Cypre a corail, Erythl'ine au corail, Immortelle; Frencll
Guiana : Erythrine a graine de corail, Immortelle; German: Korallen-
baum; Ghatwal: Hadbad; Guam; Gabgab, Gaogao, Gapgap;
Gujerati: Bangaro, Panaraweo, Panarvo, Panderavo; Hindi:
Mandara, Paltamandar, Pangara, Pangra, Panjira, Pharad ; Ilocano:
Bagbag; Indo-China: Thieh dong, Vong, Vong nem; Kharwar:
Pharar; Kolami; Birsing; KOllkani: Pangaro, Panghra; Lambadi:
Karakalli ; La Reunion: Nouroue, Pignon d'Inde de l'Inde; Magalti:
Katheik · Malaya: Dapdap, Hoi ting; Malayalam: Kalyanamurikku,
Karimurikku, Kulmurikku, Mandaram, Murikku, Nimbataru, Pari-
bhadram; Marathi: Mandar, Pangara, Pangra, Pangaru, Phandra ;
Matheran : Pangara, Paranga; Mundari: Edelkirum, Kirum,
Kimmedel, Sirumedel; Pampangan: Dapdap, Sulbang; Philippines:
Bubug, Cosindic, Dapedape, Selbang, Telbong; Portuguese: Folhas
da trindade, Ponguero; Rarotonga; Gatae, Ngatae; Samoa: Gatae,
Ngatae; Sanskrit: Bahupushpa, Kantaki, Kantakinshuka, Krimighna,
Krimishatru, Mandara, Nimbataru, Palasha, Palitmandara, Pari-
bhadra, Parijata, Prabhadraka, R aktakeshar, Raktakusuma, Rakta-
pushpa; Santali: Marar, Mararbaha; Saora: Baditi; Sinhalese:
Erabadu, Ettabadu; Spanish: Arbol del coral; Tagalog: Cabrab,
Carapdap, Casindic, Dapdap; Tamil: Kaliyanamurukku, Kavir,
Muehi, Mullumurukku, Mumkku, Pal sam, Palasu, Parisadam,
Savusayam, Sinsugam, Vallai, Venittu; Telugu: Badida, Badisa,
Badita, Baditi, Baridamu, Mahameda, Modugu, Muehikatta, Pari-
bhadrakamu, Paribhavyamu, Parijatamu, Rohinamu; Tulu:
Pongare; Uriya: Mondaro, Palodhua, Salotonya; Visayarl: Cabrab,
Dapdap.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- India Coralbean.

A. ERYTHRINA Linnaeus
(The name is derived from the Greekerytlzros" red," alluding
to the colour of the flowers, which are mostly red.)
Erytlzrina is a genus of papilionaceous trees and shrubs,
popularly known as Coral Trees, but also represented by
herbs. About 50 species have been found in tropical
and warm temperate regions. Some attain great dimen-
sions, while others are dwarf bushes with a woody rootstock,
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Erythrina

or even herbs. In many, the stems, branches and leaf-stalks

are beset with prickles. The leaves consist of 3 leaflets,
with the lateral leaflets opposite to each other. The
flowers are large, mostly red, and arranged along a
common stalk (raceme). The calyx is two-lipped or
oblique (spathe-like). The standard is sessile or shortly
stalked (clawed), upright or spreading, much larger than
wings and keel. The stamens are united to the middle,
the upper one free or united at the base with the rest.
The anthers are equal and the style bent inwards. The
fruit is a slender, stalked pod, constricted between the
seeds, narrowed at both ends, opening more or less
completely into 2 halves; the seeds are mostly egg-shaped.
The Erythrinas are chiefly remarkable for their
brilliantly coloured red flowers, which are usually produced
before the new leaves are developed. They are much
prized garden plants. The herbaceous species are pro-
pagated by division of the rootstock; also by cuttings
from shoots springing from the old roots. Woody species
are propagated by cuttings of growing wood. All species
are propagated by seeds, whenever these are obtainable.
In India 8 indigenous species have been observed;
2 more have been introduced.

KEY TO THE INDIGENOUS SPECIES

A. TREES
I. Calyx spathe-like, oblique, splitting, not at
all 2-lipped
I. Calyx splitting to the base
(a) Tip of calyx 5-toothed I. E. indica.
(b) Tip of calyx not toothed 2. E. slricta.
2. Calyx splitting half-way down 3. E. mysorensis.
II. Calyx bell-shaped, more or less distinctly
2-lipped, but not splitting down to the
base
1. Pod swollen, bearing seeds throughout
the whole length
(a) Leaflets much longer than broad . 4. E·fusca.
(b) Leaflets as broad as long
*End-leaflet rhomboid or egg-shaped 5. E. suberosa.
"End-leaflet nearly kidney-shaped 6. E. arborescens.
2. Pod fiat, seedless in the lower half 7. E. subumbrans.
B. UNDERSHRUBS OR HERBS 8. E. resupinata.
Erythrina] ERYTHRINA 71
2. ERYTHRINA STRICTA Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal. 53 (1814), name
only, Fl. Ind. ed. alt. 3, 25I (1832); Hooker r., Fl. Brit. India,
2 , 189 (1 876).

A large or moderate-sized tree. Stems with a rougher

bark than in E. indica. Bark' pale, smooth, greenish after
the papery exfoliation. Branches armed with numerous
sharp, yellow or whitish prickles. Leaves with prickly
stalks sometimes 6 in. long; the two small leaflets at the
base of the leaf-stalk sickle-shaped. Calyx t in. long,
entire at the tip, but splitting to the base down the back,
almost hairless. Corolla bright scarlet. Pod 5 to 6 in.
long, narrowed at both ends, slightly or not at all con-
stricted between the seeds, compressed, stalked, hairless,
often beaked with the slender style. Seeds I to 3, light
brown.
Flowers.- January to May. The tree is without leaves
up to the time of flowering.
Distribution.-Assam, Manipur, extending westwards to
Nepal, Chittagong, Burma, Orissa, deciduous mixed
forests of North Kanara and the Konkan.
Uses.- The wood is white, soft and spongy but tough
and fairly durable, weighs about 20 lb. per cubic foot.
It is used for fishing-net floats on the west coast of Madras,
in the Bombay Presidency for scabbards, planking, and
boxes to be covered with lacquer.
The flowers are said to be an antidote to poison.
Vernacular names.-Burma: Taung kathit; Canarese: Hemmuruku,
Kichige, Muruku; Lepcha : Katiang; Malayalam: Murikku ;
Nepalese: Phullidha ; Sanskrit: Mura ; Tamil: Kinjugam,
Mandaram, Mullumurukku, Murukku; Telugu: Mullumoduga;
Uriya : Shalotonya.

3. ERYTHRlNA MYSORENSIS Gamble, Fl. Madras, I, 354 (1918) and

in Kew Bull. 1919, 222.
A tree; branchlets apparently without prickles. Leaf-
stalk 4 in. long; stalks of leaflets t in. long. Leaflets
almost leathery, broadly egg-shaped, abruptly long-
pointed at the tip, terminal one 5 in. long, 3f in. broad,
lateral ones 4 in. long and about 3 in. broad. Flowers
fascicled towards the tips, scarcely It in. long, coral-red.
Calyx split half-way down, minutely toothed above.
72 OME BEAUTIFUL TREE [Erythrina

Nearly related to E. stricta, but the flowers are smaller;

the wings and keel-petals are of the same length, i.e. i in. ;
the stamens are in two bundles.
It resembles E. indica in having the wings and keel-
petals of equal length, but the ~owers are much smaller
and the leaves are different.
Flowers.-November.
DistributioTl.-Chickenalli in M ysore.

4. ERYTHRINA FUSCA Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 4 2 7 (1790).

Syn. E. ovalifllia Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal. 53 ( 1814), name only,
Fl. Ind. ed. alt. 3, 254 (1832); Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, :3,
189 ( 18 76) .
A moderate-sized tree. Trunk and branches armed
with dark brown or black or pale-coloured and black-
tipped, very sharp prickles, arising from pyramidal corky
tubercles, and often extending even to the leaves and
leaflets. Leaflets 3, much longer than broad. Racemes
lax, 5 to 10 in. long, several at the ends of branchlets.
Flowers crimson, mostly 3 in a fascicle. Calyx bell-shaped,
splitting irregularly into 2 or more unequal divisions,
hairy. Pod 6 to 8 in. long, swollen, bearing seeds through-
out, constricted between the seeds at least on one side,
finely downy, containing 6 to 8 seeds.
Flowers.-February to May.
Distribution.-Sylhet, Lower Bengal, Plains of Lower
Burma, Ceylon, Malay Archipelago, Polynesia.
Popular names.- Bengal: Harikekra ; Burma: Kon kathit;
I ndo-China : Vong dong.
In the southern portion of Indo-China this plant is
used medicinally as a substitute for E. indica.

5· ERYTHRlNA SUBEROSA Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal. 53 (1814), name

only, Fl. Ind. ed. alt. 3, 253 (1832); Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India,
a, 189 (1876).
A middle-sized tree, 40 to 50 ft. high. Bark corky,
deeply cracked. Branches numerous, crooked, spreading,
armed with stout, conical, yellowish-white prickles i}rJ to
t in. long, which fall off after the third year. Leaves of
Erythrina] ERYTHRINA SUBEROSA 73
3 leaflets, usually unarmed, but sometimes with a few
scattered prickles on the stalks. Leaflets pale, 3 to 6 in.
long and broad, sometimes broader than long, all more
or Jess hairless above, matted with grey cottony hairs
beneath. End-leaflet rhomboid or egg-shaped. Racemes
I to 4, forming dense heads near the ends of the branchlets,
2 to 4 in. long; calyx bell-shaped, soon becoming 2-lipped,
not splitting to the base. Corolla scarlet. Upper stamen
free from low down. Pod stalked, 5 to 6 in. long and
i in. in diameter, cylindrical, slightly constricted between
the seeds, filled when young with spongy tissue between
the seeds which finally drops out leaving the seeds attached
to the margins of the grey shining valves. Seeds 2 to 5,
pale brown or black, dull, kidney-shaped.
Flowers.-March to June. The pods ripen after May.
The old leaves are shed during the cold season. The
young leaves appear in March and April, generally shortly
before the flowers open.
Distribution.- Wild in the Siwalik tract and lower
Himalaya, from the Ravi to the Sarda, ascending to
3000 ft., occasionally found at 4000 ft., Oudh, Agra district,
Merwara, Burma, Bihar and Orissa, North Circars,
Central Provinces, Deccan in dry forests up to 3000 ft.,
throughout the forests of the Bombay Presidency, common
in some of the Khandesh forests, up to 3700 ft. in the
Akrani, not in the heavy rainfall zone, not uncommon
in Southern India. Frequently cultivated.
Uses.-The wood is white, soft and light, but fibrous
and tough. It weighs about 19 lb. per cubic foot. It is
used extensively for scabbards, sieve-frames, jars for
household purposes, and occasionally for planking. A
good cordage fibre of a pale straw colour is obtained
from the bark. The wood, ash and bark are employed
for dyeing, and the bark is also used in medicine (Haines).
Two varieties are sometimes distinguished.

Var. glabrescens Prain in Journal Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 66, ii, 410
( 1897).
The leaflets are as in the type, but almost hairless
beneath at an early stage. It can be distinguished from
K
.74 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Erythrina

E. stricta by the areoles of the leaves being less conspicuous

and not white.
Distribution.-Hot valleys of the West Himalaya from
Bashahr (up to 7000 ft. ) eastward to Sikkim, also in
Burma and on the Shan Hills.

Var. sublobata (Roxb.) Baker in Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 190
(1876); Syn. E. sublobata Roxburgh (1832).
The leaflets are variously lobed or notched, very hairy
beneath.
Flowers.-At the end of the cold season. Seed ripens
before the rains begin.
Distribution.- Parasnath, Hazaribagh, Monghyr, in-
land mountains in the Circars.
Vernacular names.- Almora: Rungra; Berar: Pangra; Bhil: Sambar ;
Bombay : Pangara, Pangra; Burma: Kathit; Canarese: Kadu-
parivala, Mulluhalivara, Mulluhongara ; Deccan: Pangara; English:
Corky Coral Tree; Garo: MandaI; Gond: Baldia, Phangera;
Gujerati: Jagriyokhakharo, Jangariokhakhro, Janghario; Hindi:
Dauldhak, Dhauldhak, Madar, Madara, Nasut, Pangara, Pangra;
Melghat: Nagthada, Nangthoda; Nepal: Phullidha; Nimar:
Gadha palas; Oudh: Nasut; PUlyab: Gulnashtar, Pariara, Thab ;
Tamil: Mullumurukku, Munmurukku, Murukku, Vellaikkaliyana-
murukku; Telugu: Barijama, Barjapu, Mullumoduga, Munimoduga,
Rohi, Rohitakamu; Uriya: Bonopalodhua, Chaldua, Mushkombhu>
Paldua, Salotonya.

6. ERYTHRINA ARBORESCENS Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, 3, 14, t. 2 I 9

(181 I), Hortus Bengal. 53 (1814), FI. Ind. ed. alt. 3,256 (1832) ;
Hooker f., FI. Brit. India, 2, 190 (1876).
A low tree. Trunk straight, with no more than two
or three simple ascending branches, armed with a few,
scattered, small, sharp prickles, otherwise smooth in
every part. Leaflets entire, smooth above, whitish
underneath, the end one nearly kidney-shaped. Flowers
many, large, of a vivid scarlet, in threes, stalked, drooping
over each other in an elegant way. Calyx entire, bell-
shaped, coloured. Standard almost egg-shaped, boat-
shaped, hanging over the rest of the flower. Pod
much curved, t to ! ft. long, I in. or more broad, 4 to
6 seeded.
 Erythrina] ERYTHRINA ARBORESCENS 75
The flowers resemble those of E. suberosa, but the
calyx is larger and the limb of the standard broader.
Flowers.-August to October. The flowers appear
together with the leaves.
Distribution.-Outer Himalaya from the Ganges to
Sikkim at elevations between 4000 and 7000 ft., Melghat
Berar, Khasia Hills. Occasionally planted in Sind and
elsewhere.
The wood is similar to that of E. suberosa and E. indica,
but is more compact, less spongy, and has more numerous
concentric bands of soft texture.
Vernacular names.- Khasia: Dingsong ; Kumaon: Mandiara,
Rungara; Lepclla: Gyesa; Nepalese: Phullidha, Rodinga.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Himalayan Coralbean.

7. ERYTHR1NA SUBUMBRANS (Hassk.) Merrill in Philipp. Journal Sci.

Bot. 5, I 13 (19 IO).
Syn. Erythrilla lithosperma Blume ex Miquel, FL Ind. Bat. I, 209 (1855) ;
Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 190 (1876), non Blume ex Hasskarl,
PI. Jav. Rar. 381 (1848 )-Hypaphorus subumbrans Hasskarl, Hortus
Bogor. Deser. sive Retziae Ed. Nova, 182 (x8S8)-Erythrina
Hypaphorus Boerlage in Teysmanoia, 5, 20 (1894).
A tall tree, reaching a height of 45 ft., with or without
a few straight sharp prickles. Leaflets membranous,
dark green, egg-shaped, long-pointed, 4 to 6 in. long.
Racemes of flowers appearing with the leaves, hairy,
about 4 in. long. Calyx velvety, finally splitting down
nearly to the base in two lips. Petals red, the standard
about It in. long, keel and wings less than half the length
of the standard. Pod much bent back, 4 to 5 in. long,
flat, seedless in the lower half, bearing I to 3 seeds at the
tip.
Flowers.-January, February.
Distribution.-Burma, in moist valleys near streams up
to 3000 ft., Indo-China and Malaya.
Uses.-Often grown to support the betel-vine.
" This tree is universally employed in the Java planta-
tions as a shade tree for coffee, and, with E. umbrosa
H. B. K. from Central America and E. velutina Willd.
from the W. Indies, is used for the same purpose over
cocoa in Ceylon" (Gamble).
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Erythrina

This thornless evergreen tree is known in Burma as

" yekathit." It is very ornamental while in flower,
during the rainy season. It is easily raised from seed.

8. ERYTHRINA RESUPlNATA Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, 3, 15, t. 220

(181 I), Hortus Bengal. 53 (1814), Fl. Ind. ed. alt. 3, 257 (1832) ;
Hooker r., Fl. Brit. India, 2 , 189 (1876).
Though this species is not a tree, but a herb or under-
shrub, we include it here because it is one of the curious
dwarf representatives of otherwise tree-producing genera.
Similar instances occur in Ochna, Grewia, Combretum,
Careya and Premna. Gamble was of the opinion that they
"have become definite species through years of regular
burning of the above-ground stems."
Description.-An undershrub with a perennial rootstock.
Shoots a few inches high, dying down annually. Leaf-
stalks long, prickly. LeaHets 2 to 3 in. long and broad,
round-heart-shaped, entire, nerves beneath sometimes
prickly. Racemes direct from the rootstock, under I ft.
high, dense and many-flowered, often appearing before
the leaves; stalk prickly. Flowers bright scarlet, large, in
threes. Calyx 2-lipped, bell-shaped. Standard oblong,
3 to 4 times the length of the calyx, keel half as long as
the standard, tinged with red; wings much shorter,
greenish. Upper stamen free from low down. Pods
stalked, about 3 in. long, flat, 3-seeded, constricted between
the seeds.
Flowers.- The flowers are produced in March after
the fires of the hot season, and present a very beautiful
appearance. After the flowers appears a short herbaceous
stem which withers after the rains.
Distribution.-Savannahs of the sub-Himalayan tract
from Oudh and Gorakhpur eastward, also on Parasnath.

INTRODUCED SPECIES
ERYTHRINA CRISTA-OALU LinnMus, Mantissa, I, 99 (1767).
Bushy and woody, sometimes developing a very short
trunk, but the flowering branches dying back after
blooming, the stronger branches arising annually or
Erythrina] ER YTHRINA CRISTA-GALLI 77
periodically from near the root. Stem and leaf-stalks
somewhat spiny. Leaflets egg-shaped, oblong or lance-
oblong, long-pointed, entire. Flowers large and crimson;
keel nearly as long as the down-folding standard; wings
rudimentary.
This plant runs into many forms, varying in the shade
of red, some of them with variegated leaves.
It is a native of Brazil and has been introduced into
Indian gardens.
According to Woodrow, it thrives in any fair garden
soil in the dry districts, and is easily propagated by
cuttings.
Plants, when in flower, do not seem to merit the high
praise bestowed upon them by their admirers. The
rather dull crimson flowers are not nearly so fine in
colour as some of the foregoing, but they look more
ornamental, the plant being in full leaf at flowering
time.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Cockspur Coralbean.

ERYTHRlNA BLAKE! hort. ex Parker, Forest Fl. Punjab, 159 (1918) ;

Blatter and Millard in Journal Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 33, 631
(19 2 9).
A small tree or large shrub; bole thick and crooked;
branches massive, spreading; bark grey, smooth; prickles
very few. Leaflets round or egg-shaped, long-pointed,
hairless, 3 to 4 in. long. Racemes terminal, leafy below
with distant flowers, densely flowered above. Calyx
bell-shaped, slightly 2-lipped, hairless. Corolla dark
scarlet, 2 in. long; standard t in. broad; keel less than
half as long as the standard; wings narrow-oblong, as
long as the keel or nearly so.
Parker says that this plant is cultivated in gardens all
over Northern India under the name given above. He
thinks it might be a hybrid or form of the American
E. herbacea Linn.
It is a rare plant, considered the most beautiful of the
genus, bearing in April flowers of the most brilliant scarlet
colour.
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Leguminosae

B. LEGUMES
Legumes is the popular name given to the important
group of plants forming the Leguminosae, which in J.
Hutchinson's classification (see p. 145) is treated as an
Order comprising three Botanical Families, i.e. the herbs,
shrubs, vines and trees of the Mimosa family (Mimosaceae) ,
the Senna family (Caesalpiniaceae) and the Pea family
(Papilionaceae). The group is a large one, containing
between 9000 and 15,000 species. For many purposes
its division into three families is convenient, but the
better policy may be to follow the Flora oj British India
and regard them as three sub-families (i.e. Mimosoideae,
Caesalpinioideae and Papilionioideae). There are a few
genera which blur the distinctions between them by
possessing more or less intermediate combinations of
characters. Members of the Leguminosae occur in all
parts of the world but are especially abundant in tropical
countries.
The Mimosaceae have not been illustrated in this book
but include nevertheless a number of beautiful trees,
among them the Saman, Guango or Rain Tree, Samanea
Saman (Jacq.) Merrill, also known as Enterolobium Saman
(Jacq. ) Prain. It is a native of Venezuela and Colombia
but is often planted in India and other tropical countries.
It grows fast and makes a rounded spreading tree up to
70 feet high with large evergreen bipinnate leaves. The
individual flowers are small but attractive, being clustered
and having numerous long pink and white stamens.
Unfortunately, the wood has no value.
 THE COLOURED STERCULIA
FIRMIANA COLORATA (Roxb .) R. Brown in Bennett and Brown, PI.
Javan. Rar. 235 (1844).
Syn. Sterculia colorata Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, I, 26, t. 25 (1795) ;
Hooker f., FI. Brit. India, I, 359 ( 1874)-Erythropsis Roxburghiana
Schott and Endlicher, Meletemata Bot. 33 ( 1832)-Erythropsis
colorata (Roxb.) Burkill in Straits Settlem. Gdns. Bull. 5, 231
(193 1 ).
The genus Firmiana comprises about ten species, F.
colorata, F. fulgens and F. pallens being Indo-Malayan. *
It commemorates an Austrian statesman, Count Karl

... In a dried state the a bove three Asiatic species of Firmiana

subgenus Erythropsis may be distinguished by calyx characters. F.
colorata has a narrow coral-red calyx about 11 in. long, the mouth
about ! in. across, F. fulgens (Masters) Corner likewise a narrow
bright-coloured (orange-red) but longer calyx about I! in. long,
-fa- in. or so across the mouth, F. pallens (Ridley) a more campanulate
light-coloured (yellowish, not red) calyx about i to ! in. long,
-fcJ in. across the mouth. F. fulgens is recorded from Burma, Siam,
Penang, Perak and Sumatra but does not grow wild in India. F.
pallens appears confined to India. For detailed descriptions of F .
Julgens and F. colorata see King in Journal Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 60,
ii, 71-73 (1891); for F. pallens (syn. Erythropsis pallens) see Ridley in
Kew Bull. 1934, 2x6.-W.T.S.
111
80 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Firmiana

Joseph von Firmian (1716-1782), a patron of the Padua

botanic garden. Giovanni Marsigli published it in 1786 ;
Schott and Endlicher gave it generic recognition in 183 2
but many botanists include it in Sterculia. It is distin-
guished by its membranous follicles, which open long
before maturity and have only one or two marginal seeds;
Sterculia has leathery follicles with several marginal seeds.
A very conspicuous tree when in flower from March
to May. The tree is leafless at this period and the branches

and twigs are covered with coral~red flowers and, as these

fade, their place is taken by the winged leaf-shaped
follicles which are pink at first and turn red later. These
bear on the edges one or two seeds. The tree is fairly
common at Khandalla on the Western Ghats and
there used to be a few trees growing in Bombay fairly
recently.
Description.-A large tree with a straight, sometimes
fluted trunk covered with thick, scaly, ash-coloured bark
and a crown of spreading branches. The leaves are
crowded together at the ends of the branches. They
grow on slender stalks 4 to 12 in. long. The leaf is
broader than long; it measures 4 to 8 in. in length and
is from 5 to 12 in. in width. It has 3 to 5 points formed
by shallow triangular lobes which taper acutely towards
.S
Firmiana] COLOURED STERCULIA 8J

the tips. In the older trees the number of these lobes is

usually three, but in the younger plants and seedlings
the number of points is increased. Young leaves and
shoots are always downy. The older leaves are smooth
on both surfaces; F. fulgens has them hairy. The tree
commences to shed its leaves in November and is leafless
from January to April, when the young leaves commence
to sprout. This generally takes place after the tree
has burst into flower. The Coloured Sterculia is
then a conspicuous and brilliant sight. In the forests
of the Western Ghats and the Deccan where the tree is
common these trees in flower appear on the hill ~ides
and in the ravines like masses of flaming red coral. The
flowers grow in short dense panicles at the ends of the
branches. Their colour varies from bright coral or
orange-red to greyish-brown. The stalks, the flowers
and the stem on which they grow are covered with fine
downy hairs, giving the whole inflorescence a soft, velvety
appearance. The calyx is narrowly funnel-shaped, and
about ! in long, the column of the united stamens
protruding from this and bearing at its summit about
30 yellow anthers. There are no petals. The stigmas
are short and recurved. The interior of the flower is
deep red. The fruits are numerous and conspicuous
and might be mistaken for leaves. The fruit is composed
of from 2 to 5 leaf-like membranous valves growing on a
common stalk. These valves are green or pinkish on the
outside and yellowish within. They open long before
the fruit is mature, revealing usually two yellow, much
wrinkled seeds the size of a small bean, adhering one to
each margin of the valve.
Flowering season.-March to May. Fruits, May to
June. New leaves, April to May.
Distribution.-Satpuras up to 3700 ft.; West Ghats
from South Kanara to Travancore, Konkan and Deccan
Forest, North Circars, Mount Abu, East Bengal, Burma,
Andamans, Ceylon, Indo-China, Siam, Hainan.
Economic value.-The bark yields an inferior kind of
fibre, strong but coarse, which is sometimes made into
ropes.
L
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Firmiana

The wood is dingy, greyish-white in colour, very soft,

marked with conspicuous medullary rays.
The twigs and leaves are used in the Western Peninsula
as a cattle fodder.
Domestic uses.-The flowers are used in some parts of
the country, such as the Berars, to decorate the horns of
cattle during the Holi Festival.
Vernacular nilmes.-Andamans: Berda; Bengal: Mula; Berar:
Khowsey, Pinj; Bombay: Bhaikoi, Bheckhol, Samarri, Walena;
Burma: Wetshaw, Yasengshaw; Canarese: Bilisulige; Garo:
Bolazong; Hindi: Bodula, Samarri, Walena; Kharwar: Lersima;
Kolami: Pisi, Sisi; Kumaon: Bodal, Bodala ; Lambadi: Kodokili;
Lepcha: Kanhlyen; Malayalam: Malamparatti; Merwara: Mutruk;
Nepal: Omra, Phirphiri, Sitto udal; Saora: Kodijuttu; Tamil:
Malambarutti; Telugu: Gudilapu, Karaka, Karuboppayi, Karupayu,
Karuchichche, Kondatamara.

STERCULIACEAE

They consist of tropical South African or Australian

herbs, shrubs, or trees furnished sometimes with large
and handsome flowers, such as Sterculia and Kleinhovia.
The name Sterculia is from Sterculius of Roman
mythology, derived from stercus, dung. The Romans at
the height of paganism deified the objects of their greatest
dislike and most immoral actions. Thus they had the
gods Sterculius and Crepitus, and the goddesses Caca and
Petunda. The flowers and leaves of some species of
Sterculia are ill-smelling.
PLATE XV

BRILLIANT GARDENIA

Gardenia resinifera
 THE BRILLIANT GARDENIA
GARDENIA RESINlFERA Roth., Novae PI. Sp. 150 (r821).
Syn. Gardenia lucida Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal. 15 (1814), name
only, Fl. Ind. z, 553 (1824), ed. alt. I, 707 (1832); Hooker f.,
Fl. Brit. India, 3, 115 (1880).
The genus Gardenia belongs to the family Rubiaceae.
It is named after Dr Alexander Garden (c. 1730-1791)
of Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A. Resinifera means
" resin-bearing."
Description.-A large smooth shrub or small tree
reaching 20 to 25 ft. in height. The bark is smooth and

grey, when young greyish-green. Shoots are smooth and

shining and covered with a thin yellowish coating of resin
which frequently forms globules at the tips. The leaves
are from 2t to 8 in. long by 1 to 3 in. broad. They are
elliptic-oblong in outline, with partially blunt or fine-
pointed tips. The base of the leaf is narrowed into the
short leaf-stalk. The slender main nerves of the leaf are
83
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Gardenia

prominent on the underside. The stipules between the

opposite leaves are large, broadly egg-shaped, pointed

and thin in texture. The flowers are large and fragrant.

They rise singly in the axils of the uppermost leaves near
the extremities of the branches; the flower stalks vary

from t to t in. in length. The calyx is ! in. long and

softly hairy; the teeth are i in. long, erect, lance-shaped
and tapering to a fine point. The corolla is large, pure
C!+ Flow"rs "I' III!' Brilli anl (;ardl·nia (Gardenia r(,l'i !lijtrfl ) .

..,/.
~.

C . .11&(. lIJlJI
25. A tree f the Brillianl Gardellia (Gardrnitl winiJi:ra) .
Gardenia] BRILLIANT GARDENIA 85

white on opening, soon turning yellow; the tube is It to

2 in. long, slender, covered with fine hairs on the outside.
The five petals are obovate, blunt, It to ! in., spreading,
veined and smooth. The fruit is elliptical or rounded in
outline, ! to I in. in diameter, smooth, marked with
longitudinal lines and crowned by the persistent calyx ;
the outside is thick and woody. The flowers open in the
evening, soon turn from white to yellow and die (Cooke).
Distribution.-Growing wild in Burma, Chittagong,
from the Konkan southwards, North Kanara, Deccan
and Carnatic, in deciduous forests in all the dry districts
of the Madras Presidency.
Economic value.-The remarkable gum-resin, dikamali,
or cumbi-gum, is obtained from this species and from
G. gummifera Linn. f. The exudation from both species
is apparently identical, and in both cases forms transparent
tears from the extremities of the young shoots and buds.
These shoots and buds are broken off with the drops of
gum-resin attached, and exposed for sale either in this
form, or after agglutination into cakes or irregular masses.
Commercial dikamali is sold either in the form of the
twigs coated with and agglutinated by the gum-resin,
or as irregular earthy-looking masses of a dull olive-
green colour which consist of the resin more or less mixed
with bark, sticks, and other impurities. It has a peculiar
and offensive odour like that of cats' urine. When carefully
collected and free from impurity it is transparent and of
a bright yellow colour.
The wood is yellowish-white, close-grained, hard,
containing no heartwood, weight 39 lb. per cubic foot.
It is useful for turning, and is employed for making combs
by the natives.
Domestic uses.-The fruit is an article of food in the
Central Provinces.
Medicinal properties and uses.-Ainslie in his Materia
Indica writes: "Cumbi-pisin or cumbi-gum is a strong-
smelling gum-resin, not unlike myrrh in appearance,
and possessing, the Hakims say, nearly similar virtues;
it is, however, far more active, and ought, on that account,
to be administered in very small doses; as an external
86 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Gartknia

application, it is employed, dissolved in spirits, for cleaning

foul ulcers, and, where the balsam of Peru cannot be
obtained, might be used as a substitute for arresting the
progress of sphacelous and phagedenic affections, which
that medicine has the power of doing (at least in hot
climates) in a very wonderful manner." The drug is
considered anti-spasmodic, carminative and when applied
externally, antiseptic and stimulating. It is accordingly
employed by the natives of Southern and Western India,
in cases of hysteria, flatulent dyspepsia, and nervous
disorders due to dentition in children, also externally as
an application to foul and callous ulcers, and extensively
to keep away flies from sores. It has also been employed
in European practice for the last purpose with marked
success, both in hospitals and in veterinary work, and is
said to be a successful anthelmintic in cases of round-
worm (Watt).
" The gum of the tree melted in oil is applied to the
forehead to check headache" (V. Ummegudien, Madras).
Gardening.- For sowing it is preferable to separate the
numerous seeds, though in nature a whole fruit will rot
and the seeds germinate in a heap. The seedlings do
best in partial shade (Haines). It can also be propagated
by cuttings in the rains.
Vemacular names.- Berar : Dikamali ; Bijeragogarh : Papar ; Bombay:
Dekamali; Canarese: Bikke, Dikkamalli; Central Provinces: Kokkita,
Kondamanga, Kuru, Tettamanga; English: White Emetic Nut;
Gujerati : Dekamari, Dikamali; Hindi: Dekamali, Dekamari,
Dikamali; Kathiawar: Malan, Malati; Konkani: Dikamali;
KOla: Karangi; Marathi: Dekamari, Dikamali; Porebunder:
Bhaladi, Bhalan; Sanskrit: Hingu, Hingunadika, Jantuka, Nadi-
hingu, Palashakhya, Pinda, Pindavha, Ramathi, Shivadika, Suvirya,
Vanshapatri, Venupatri; Tamil: Kambil, Kumbai, Tikkamalli;
Telugu: Bikki, Erubikki, Karinguva, Sinnakaringuva, Tellakaringuva,
Yettabikki; TuIu: Dikkamalli.
 THE SPOTTED GLIRICIDIA
GLIRICIDIA SEPIUM (Jacq.) Walpers, Repert. Bot. Syst. I, 679 (1842) ;
Hubbard & Rehder in Harvard Bot. Mus. Leafl.. 1,6 (1932).
Syn. Robinia sepium Jacquin, Enum. PI. Carib. 28 (1760) - Lollcho-
carpus sepium (Jacq.) De Candolle, Prodr. z, 260 (1825).
The generic name Gliricidia means "dormouse-
destroyer" (from glis, genitive gliris, " dormouse," caedo
" kill") and was coined by Jacquin simply as a Latin
rendering of the vernacular name "Mata-raton" used
at Cartagena, Colombia. Later Humboldt and Bonpland
found the powdered bark of Gliricidia mixed with grains
of maize (Zea Mays) in use at Campeche, Mexico, as a
poison for mice and rats. According to Standley, the
leaves as well as other parts of the plant are poisonous
to these rodents and he confirms the statement of
Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth by noting that to-day
"the seeds or powdered bark mixed with rice, etc. are
used in tropical America for poisoning rats and mice"
(Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb., 23, 482; I922). The epithet
sepium means " of hedges." The name Gliricidia maculata
(Humb., Bonpl. and Kunth) Steudel has also been used
for this plant.
Description.-A small elegant and quick growing tree
with arching branches and feathery foliage somewhat
reminiscent of the Cassias. The leaf is described as odd-
pinnate, the leaf-stalk bearing 8 pairs of pinnae or leaflets
and with an odd terminal leafIet. The leaflets are
oblong in shape, acute or almost acute at the tip, oftly
hairy when young, ultimately glabrous above but hairy
along the veins below, and dull green; the black spotting
on the under surface of the leaves gives the tree its common
name. The tree sheds almost all its leaves during the
cold weather when it flowers.
It is strikingly beautiful in bloom when its branches
for the greater part of their length are covered with
masses of pinkish-purple or pale pink flowers. The
87
88 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Gli,1.cidia

flowers grow in clusters. The calyx of the flower is cup-

. shaped with a slightly 5-10bed rim. The petals consist of
a large erect backward-curving standard petal, 2 sickle-
shaped wing-petals and an incurving keel-petal. The
two-valved pod is long and flat with a thickened margin.

Flowering season.- In Bombay these trees usually flower

in February and March.
Gardening.- The Spotted Gliricidia is easily raised
from seed or cuttings, which should be 5 to 6 ft. long and
planted 12ft. or more apart. The tree bears such a heavy
crop of leaves that the branches are frequently broken
by the wind, especially as the wood is very brittle, and
it is better to pollard the tree from time to time.
Uses.-Macmillan states that the rapid growth of the
tree and its long leafy branches recommend it as a useful
2G. Flowcl's or li lt· SpIIll cci Glil'iciLiia ((,'!ill'cidirr Ji/lillll/ ) .
Gliricidia] SPOTTED GLIRICIDIA 89
shade tree for crops and for green manuring. The whole
tree is rich in nitrogen, the flowers alone containing up
to 3.36 per cent. The dried leaves smell like new-mown
hay.
Distribution.- Guatemala to South America. It was
introduced into Ceylon from the West Indies about 1899.
At a meeting of the members of the Bombay Natural
History Society held on 29th September 19 I 6, Mr Millard
exhibited a young specimen of this handsome flowering
tree which he had raised from seed received from the
Peradeniya Gardens through the kindness of Mr Macmillan
the Curator, and this was probably the ~st introduction
of this tree into Bombay.
It is grown as a permanent shade tree for Cacao in
Nicaragua, Trinidad, the West Indian Islands, and many
parts of the tropics. It is cultivated in Old Calabar
streets as a shade tree.
Vernacular luzmes. -E nglish : Madre of Cocoa, Madura Shade Tree,
Mother of Cocoa, Nicaraguan Shade Tree; Nicaragua: Madera,
Madura.
 THE LIGNUM VITAE TREE
GUAIACUM OFFICINALE Linnaeus, Sp. PI. I, 381 (J 753).
The generic name is derived from the Spanish one,
guayacan or guayaco, which itself originated from hoaxacan>
the Mexican appellation of the plant.
The specific name officinale means "officinal," "used
of medicinal or other plants procurable at shops"; or
" used or recognized in pharmacy or medicine."
Description.-The Lignum Vitae Tree grows to a height
of 30 to 40 ft. The stem is generally crooked, the wood
intensely hard, the branches knotty and the bark deeply
furrowed.

The dense crown of dose-growing foliage gives the

tree a rounded, compact, neat appearance. It is distinctly
ornamental on a lawn. Each leaf is composed of two
or three pairs of smooth, stalkless leaflets arranged on a
slender mid-rib. The leaflets are i to ! in. in length.
There is much irregularity both in their size and shape :.
some are broadest above the middle (obovate), some
almost blunt (obtuse).
The tree flowers at the end of the cold season and the
commencement of the hot weather. In Bombay some
of the trees are in bloom the whole year round. The
beautiful blue flowers grow in great profusion. They
almost cover the tree. The flowers remain for a long-
po
 PLATE XVJi

LIGNUM VITAE TREE

Guaiacum qfficinale
 Guaiacum] LIGNUM VITAE TREE
time. As the older blooms fade from deep blue to paler
shades, some becoming almost" white, a striking variegation
of colour is produced. The flowers grow in clusters at
the ends of the branches. Each flower has five petals cupped
in a small finely hairy calyx, supported on a slender stalk.
There are ten stamens bearing golden-yellow anthers.
The fruit appears as small, round, compressed yellow
capsules, containing 5 cells; occasionally there are fewer.
Each cell encloses a single seed.
Distribution.- The Lignum Vitae Tree is an inhabitant
of the islands of the West Indies, whence it has been
introduced into India. It also grows in the arid plains
stretching from the Florida Keys to Venezuela.
Gardening.- Raised from seed. For many years we
knew of only one tree in Bombay which was growing in
the compound of the Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Hospital. This
had been introduced, we were told, by Dr Wellington
Gray, from the West Indies. Seeds were obtained from
this tree by the late Mr H. V. Kemball and now it is a
fairly common tree in gardens in Bombay. It succeeds
well at Madras and Bangalore, though at the latter station
it is rare and somewhat stunted in growth.
Uses. - The wood, called Lignum Vitae (Pockholz or
Franzosenholz by the Germans) reached Europe via Spain
probably towards the end of the fifteenth century. Soon
it became famous as a remedy against the "Morbus
Gallicus," and was praised as such in numerous books,
of which the most important is Ulrich von Hutten, De
Guaiaci medicina et morbo gallico liber unus, Moguntiae (IS I 9).
The heartwood is greenish-brown, the sapwood pale
yellow. It is remarkable for the direction of its fibres,
each layer of which crosses the preceding diagonally.
It sinks in water. It is of great value and is used for
many purposes, chiefly by turners. Ship's blocks, rulers,
pulleys, skittle-balls and bowls are among articles made
of it. When rubbed and heated, it gives off a faint,
disagreeable aromatic odour. Its taste is pungent and
aromatic. Shavings and raspings of the wood are used
by apothecaries for medicinal purposes. In the same
way the bark is employed in medicine. The most
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Guaiacum

important product is a resin obtained from the wood and

bark, and used in powder, pill and tincture. It is an
acrid stimulant and has been found efficient against
various diseases. The resin is an ingredient of the well-
known Plummer's Pills. It is also one of the chief means
employed to detect ,bloodstains.
The resin sometimes flows spontaneously from the
stem of the tree; at other times, it is obtained artificially
by jagging or notching the stem and allowing the exuding
juice to harden, or by boring holes in logs of the wood
and then placing them on a fire so that the resin is melted
and runs through the hole, or by boiling the chips in salt
and water, when the resin floats on the surface of the water.
The resin is greenish-brown in colour and has a
brilliant resinous fracture. Of taste there is scarcely any,
but it leaves a burning sensation in the mouth.
Vernacular names.-Danish : Frazostraee ; Dutch: Pokhout ; English:
Guaiacum, Lignum Vitae Tree; French: Bois saint, Galac, Gayac;
German: Franzosenholz, Guayakholz, Pockenholz; Italian: Guajaco,
Legno guajacano, Legno santo; Portuguese: Guyaiaco; Russian :
Bakaut ; Spanish: Guayacan, Guayaco, Lefio santo, Palo santo,
Palo santo de las Indias ; Swedish: Fransosenholts.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Common Lignumvitae.

A. GUAIACUM Plumier ex Linnaeus

The genus contains 10 species of trees or shrubs, all
indigenous to tropical America. They are noted for the
resin which they secrete, and the extreme hardness of
their wood.
B. ZVGOPHYLLACEAE
The family name is derived from the Greek and alludes to
the numerous pairs of leaflets, ,zygon = yoke + phyllon =
leaf. The family consists of 22 genera and about
160 species, mostly natives of the warm regions in the
northern hemisphere; they principally inhabit the extra-
tropical and hot regions of both hemispheres, especially
abounding from the north-west of Africa, through the
Mediterranean region, to the northern limit of India;
they are rarer in South Africa, Australia and South
America.
l'LATE XVIII

MIMOSA-LEAVED JACARANDA
 THE MIMOSA-LEAVED JACARANDA
JACARANDA MIMOSIFOLlA D. Don in Bot. Reg. 8, t. 631 (June 1822),
Edinburgh Phil. Journal, 9, 266 (1823).
Syn. Jacaranda ovaZijoZia R. Brown in Bot. Mag. 49, t. 2327 (June
1822)-" J. acutijolia" avet.; cr. Sandwith in Kew Bull. 1953,
45 6 (1954)·
Jacaranda is a Brazilian vernacular name first mentioned
in Georg Marcgraf von Liebstad's Hist. Rerum Nat.
Brasiliae, 136 (1648) and formally adopted by Antoine

Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 as the scientific name of this

genus, which belongs to the family Bignoniaceae.
Description.-A tree, 50 ft. and more. The foliage is
as finely cut as a fern, symmetrical and elegant. The
leaves are alternate or almost opposite, each with 9 to
93
94 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Jacaranda

16 or more pairs of pinnae, each pinna having 14 to

24 pairs of leaflets; leaflets oblong-rhomboid, t to 1- in.
long, the end one larger. The plant bears loose, pyra-
midal panicles, 8 in. high, of 40 to go blue flowers, each
2 in. long and ! to I in. wide, which have a long, bent,
swelling tube and the 2 lobes of I lip smaller than the
3 other lobes (or in other words: corolla 2 in. long,
the tube slender and curved below, inflated above, the
limb 2-lipped, one lip 2-lobed, the other 3-10bed), calyx
small, s-toothed. Anther-bearing stamens 4, 2 a little
longer than the other 2; barren stamen (staminode)
much longer than the 4 anther-bearing stamens, hairy
at the tip, and liable to be mistaken for the style and
stigma. Fruit an oblong, ovate or broad dehiscent capsule.
A very beautiful tree with foliage resembling that of
the Albizzias or Mimosas, it ranks among the best flower-
ing trees or shrubs for sub-tropical and tropical regions.
It is a native of North-west Argentina and of somewhat
recent introduction to India, but is now becoming common
in gardens.
This tree is not common round Bombay and although
it does sometimes flower there, the temperature or perhaps
the sea air does not appear to suit it so well as up-country.
At Pachmarhi, C.P., this tree thrives and flowers splendidly,
as also in Northern India.
The flowers are violet-blue in colour at first, but the
colour varies according to the number of days they have
been out and other conditions, some flowers being almost
mauve. Flowers in March and also at other times.
Gardening.-Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened
wood. It stands pruning well and can be kept in regular
form.
Uses.-It makes a useful avenue tree.
The plant is used medicinally in Colombia: an infusion
of the' leaves is taken as a pectoral; the powdered leaves
are used as a vulnerary; an infusion of the bark is used
as a lotion to wash ulcers; the bark and the leaves are
given internally for syphilis and blennorrhagia.
Vernacular names.-Brazil: Jacaranda; Colombia: Gualanolay;
Gold Coast: Bh:leJacaranda.
PLATE XIX

KLEINHOVlA

Kleinlzouia lzosjJita
 THE KLEINHOVIA
KLEINliOVIA HOSPITA Linnaeus, sp. PI. 2nd ed. 2, 1365 (1763) ; Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, I, 364 (1874).
Linnaeus dedicated this genus to a correspondent
whom he described as "Kleinhof horti Bot. cultor in
Java." We are indebted to Dr C. A. Backer, formerly
botanist at Buitenzorg, for the further information that
Linnaeus's correspondent was Christiaan Kleynhoff, born
(year unknown) at Sandau in Upper Silesia. He was a
Government physician for three years in Western India
and for twenty-one years in Eastern India and was from
1741 or 1742 a civil officer of v.o.r.c. (United East
India Company). He had a garden at Batavia in which
many native and Chinese medicinal plants were grown.
He returned to Holland in 1763 and died at Culemborg,
Holland, in 1777.
The Latin epithet hospita is the feminine of hospes,
" a visitor, guest, friend," which by transference came to
mean " he who treats another as his guest," and was also
used adjectivally by the Romans in the sense of" hospit-
able, carrying or sheltering others" as well as "strange
or foreign." Linnaeus when naming genera after persons
often took care that there should be a link between the
person and the plant, and he gave a number of examples,
not all of them complimentary, in his Critica Botanica
(1737). Burmann's account of Kleynhoff's generosity
suggests that Linnaeus intended the epithet to apply to
both the hospitable Kleynhoff and his tree. In so doing
Linnaeus undoubtedly had in mind the description
(translated below) given by Rumphius under the name
" Cattimarus " or " Kinar-Boom " in his Herbarium Amboin.
3, 178 (1743) :-" When these trees occur in remote
places they grow tall and handsome but around the
dwellings of men they are stunted and badly shaped on
account of the branches being often cut back, which the
tree nevertheless quickly sprouts again after the manner
of a [pollarded] willow, with the result that as the shoots
grow thickly together they support many parasitic [i.e.
9S
 OME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Kleinlwvia

epiphytic] herbs, among them species of ferns, polypodies

and mosses, while snakes, lizards, ants and similar animals
shelter in the upper rotting cavities." A tree fostering so
many unbidden guests certainly merits the epithet hospita.
This is a moderately sized tree with large leaves and
showy panicles of delicate rose-pink flowers. The leaf
is oval, often with a heart-shaped base. Its veins, 3 to 7
in number, grow out fan-wise from the base. The small
flowers are in large many-branched clusters. The five
sepals of the flower fall off early, leaving only the pink
unequal petals, the uppermost of which has a long claw-
shaped apex. The stamens unite to form a slender
column, which widens into a cup, bearing in each of its
five divisions three 2-celled anthers. The ovary is 5-celled
and lobed and lies in the cup formed by the stamens.
The style is slender, the stigma divided into five parts.
The fruit is a membranous inflated capsule, having seeds
marked with small tubercles. It belongs to the Sterculiaceae.
Flowering season.-July to August; March and
September in the Philippine Islands.
Distribution.- The tree is indigenous to the delta of
the Mekong River. It is common on the shores of the
Malay Archipelago and grows inland in tropical East
Africa and Australia. It was introduced into Ceylon
about 1820 and is now fairly established in cultivation in
Western India.
Gardening.- A beautiful tree particularly when in
bloom and really worthy of cultivation. It is propagated
by layers; seeds are rarely procurable.
Uses.- Frequently grown as an avenue tree, especially
in Calcutta and Poona.
The shoots and tender leaves are eaten cooked in the
Philippine Islands. In Cochin China a decoction of the
leaves is used as a lotion to wash cutaneous eruptions
and cure scabies. The bark yields a strong bast fibre.
The old timber is said to be highly valued in Java for
handles of kreeses.
Vernacular names.-Cochin China: Tra; Ilocano: Bignon, Bitang
Bitnog, Bitnon, Bitnong; Pampangan : Pampar, Panampat; Tagalog:
Tanag; Tamil : Panaitteku; Visayan: Hamitanago, Tanag.
PLATE XX

ROXBURGH'S K YDIA
Kydia calycina
 ROXBURGH'S KYDIA
KYDIA CALYCINA Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, 3, 12, t. 215 ( I8J I),
Hortus Bengal. 51 (l814), FI. Ind. ed. alt. 3, 188 (1832) ; Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, I, 348 (1874).
The genus Kydia belongs to the family Malvaceae and
is named after Colonel Robert Kyd (1746-93), founder
and first director of the Indian Botanic Gardens, Calcutta.
The epithet calycina (" belonging to a calyx," hence
applied to plants distinguished by an usually prominent

or well-developed calyx) here refers to the calyx-like

involucre which Roxburgh regarded as an exterior calyx.
Description.- A large shrub or small tree. Leaves 3 to
6 in. long, fanwisely 7-nerved, heart-shaped at the base,
usually 3 to 7 lobed; lobes often angular, the median
one the largest, smooth above, densely close-haired
beneath; leaf-stalk I to 2 in. long. Panicles many-
flowered, covered with tawny short hairs; flower-stalk
i in. long. Below the calyx there is a series of 4 to 6
strongly nerved involucral bracts which enlarge and
persist in fruit, ! to i in. long. Corolla white or pink;
petals reversedly heart-shaped, longer than the calyx,
prolonged into a claw at the base with a tuft of hairs on
" N
. 98 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Kydia

either side. The filaments are united to form a staminal

tube for a little more than half their length, then divide
into 5 spreading branches, each carrying 3 almost stalkless
anthers. Style branches 3, each surmounted by a large,
disc-like stigma. Fruit g-valved, about the size of a pea,
covered with mealy dust, rounded with a slightly umbrella-
shaped top. Seeds kidney-shaped, striated, brown-black.
Distribution.-Common throughout India and Burma,
chiefly in mixed and deciduous forests, not arid regions.
Gardening.-Propagated from seed. The seeds possess
a comparatively low germinating power but this is com-
pensated by the large number produced. The seeds
should be sown in seed beds, and the seedlings transplanted
when they are 2 to 3 in. high. The rate of growth is
rapid and it has been estimated that the tree reaches
its maximum growth at a comparatively early age, though
the exact age has not been ascertained (Troup).
The leaves commence to fall at the end of November
and the plant is leafless from January or early February
to late April. The flowers appear in September-October,
and the masses of greenish-white or pale lilac blossoms
make the tree a conspicuous sight at this season (Troup).
Economic value.- The inner bark yields a bast fibre
used for coarse ropes. The young bark is used, on account
of the quantity of its mucilage, to clarify sugar. It is a
remarkable bark abounding in gum.
The wood is white, soft, with no heartwood; weighs
40 to 45 lb. per cubic foot; is used for house-building,
ploughs, oars, spoons, for carving, and for charcoal and
fuel.
The saplings are used, owing to their gr at strength
and elasticity, for making banghy sticks.
Vernacular tlames.-Almora: Pata; Amraoti: Bhoti; Bhil : Bothi ;
Bijnor: Palao, Pattra; Bombay: Motipotari, Varanga, Varangada,
Varung; Bu/dana: Bhoti; Burma: Bokemaiza, Dwabote, Dwalok,
Myethlwa, Tabo; Canarese: Belagu, Bellaka, Bende, Bendenaru,
Bendi, Billulhendi, Kadubende, Kolibende, Nayibende; Central
Provinces: Baranga, Bargha, Bhotti; Garhwal: Pillu, Pulao; Garo:
Boldobak; Gond: Bosha, Burkapa, Buruk, Kunji; GuJeroti: Mhoti-
hirwani, Nihotilirwani; Hasada: Bitabororo; Hindi: Baranga,
Bargha, Cboupultea, Patha, Pola, Potari, Pula, Puli, Pulipatha,
 T. I) , SI,rinit lQsOIJ
3:.!· R ox bllrg h 's K ydia (J("_lIdiil cillyc il/(I ). A youn g Irf'f' in th e
India n Botanic Ga rd en . Calcutt a.
Kydia] ROXBURGH'S KYDIA 99
Pulu; Kharwar: Derki; Khond: Wala; Kolami: Bitagonir, Bittia,
Gonyer, Patadhamin; Konkani: Varang; Lambadi: Charpili;
Lepcha: Sedangtaglar, Ta-gla kung hlo-sa; Malayalam: Velukku,
Venta; Marathi: Bhendi, Bhoti, Iliya, Potari, Va rung ; Matheran:
Bhoti, Potasi, Warung ; Mechi: Mahow, Moshungon; Melghat:
Bhoti; Nepal: Kubinde; Nimar: Safeddhaman; North- Western
ProTJinces: Puta, Puttiya; Oudh: Kakahi; Porebunder: Mhoti-
hirwani; Punjab: Pola, Pula, Pulli; Ramnagar: P.ula; Sadani:
Baranga, Bicra, Jhari; Santali: Poshkaolat, Poskaolat; Saora:
Erukutada, Pulan; Shan: Dwabok ; Sinhalese : Pule ; Tamil:
Vendai; Telugu: Kondapotari, Pachabotuka, Pandiki, Peddakusiji,
Peddapotari, Potari; Tharu: Patar; Uriya: Bankopasia, Bharimo,
Khopashya.
Standardised plant name, U.S. A.- Roxburgh's Kydia.
 QUEEN OF FLOWERS
LAGERSTROEMlA SPECIOSA (L.) Persoo'l, Synop. PI. z, 72 (1807).
Syn. Munchausia speciosa Linnaeus, Mantissa, z, 243 (1771 }- Adambea
glabra Lamarck, Encycl. Meth. Bot. I, 39 (I 783}- Lagerstroemia
Flos Reginae R etzius, Obs. Bot. 5, 25 (1789); Hooker f., FI.
Brit. India, z, 577 (1879) - Lagerstroemia Reginae Roxburgh,
PI. Coromandel, 1,46, t. 65 (1796).
This genus commemorates Magnus Lagerstroem (1691-
1759), a Swedish merchant who received specimens from
the East and passed them on to Linnaeus. Spiciosa
means "good-looking, showy, splendid," Jlos reginae,
" flower of a queen."
This tree does not grow to a large size in Bombay,
about 20 ft. in height only, probably because Bombay

is too far north for it to excel in growth, but it is a beautiful

sight when in flower from May to July. There are various
shades of colour in the flowers of these trees, some being
purple and others different shades of mauve, approaching
to pink, and these light pinkish-mauve varieties are
perhaps the most beautiful. The upstanding panicles of
the flowers rather remind one in shape of the white
100
Lagerslroemia] QUEEN OF FLOWERS 101

racemes of the Horse-Chestnut (Aesculus Hippocastanum)

Tree when in flower in England.
Description.-A moderate-sized tree but when growing
on the banks of forest streams it may reach a height of
60 ft. The trunk is straight. Its pale bark flakes off in
irregular patches. The branches spread widely. The
leaves grow on stout stalks; they are paler in colour
below, oblong-lance-shaped and bluntly pointed at the

tips. A leaf measures 5 to 8 in. in length and It to 3 in.

in width. Its main nerves-there are from 10 to 13
upward curving pairs-are conspicuous and prominent.
A network of fine veins covers both surfaces of the leaf.
The tree sheds its leaves during the cold weather when
some of the leaves turn coppery-red or yellow. But this
leaf fall is generally gradual. Few trees are absolutely
bare. The young leaves come out with the blossoms in
May. Then the tree covered with great clusters of large
mauve flowers is a delight to the eye. Its massed flowers
have not the aggressive beauty of the Gul Mohur or the
Flame of the Forest but their soft pastel colouring is
tenderly attractive and pleasing. Each cluster or panicle
of flowers may be quite a foot in length springing from
the branch as an upstanding spike, massed with flowers
· 102 SOME BEAUTIFUL' TREES [Lagerstroemia

at its base and bearing numerous downy pink and green

buds towards its tip. The earlier flowers at the bottorp
of the spike fade to a paler tone, thus varying the colours
of the cluster from deep to palest mauve. The colouring
of the flowers varies in different trees; in some it is
almost purple, in others mauve or pinky-mauve, while
there is a beautiful variety in which the colours are
bright pink. The calyx of the flower is green. It is
covered with a white, sometimes reddish, down. It has
6 or 7 sepals which are fused together and form a heavily
ribbed cup with a lobed brim.
There are 6 or 7 petals, very crinkled and wavy,
rounded at the apex and clawed or narrowing suddenly
at the base. The stamens are all equal, shorter than the
style; they are purplish-red and bear yellow anthers.
The tree fruits in great profusion and the fruits persist
for a long time. Green fruits of the current season are
seen on the tree together with blackened fruits of the
preceding season. They are globular in shape and contain
smooth pale brown seeds.
Flowering season.- Flowers during the hot season and
fruits during the rainy season. But young trees may be
found in flower late in the rains.
Distribution.-W. Ghats of North Kanara and South
Konkan through Malabar to Travancore, along the banks
of nalas and rivers and in swampy localities, North
Circars, Chota Nagpur, East Bengal, Assam, Burma,
Malaya, China, Ceylon. Very often cultivated, especially
so in the Gorakhpur district of the United Provinces.
Leaf-shedding, flowering and fruiting.-The tree sheds its
leaves about February to March, the leaves turning reddish
before falling; the new leaves appear in April to May.
The large terminal panicles of mauve flowers, 2 to 3 in.
in diameter, appear from April to June, at which time
the trees are extremely handsome. The capsules 5-6-
valved, broadly ovoid, lo to I in. long, ripen from
November to January, according to locality, though they
do not actually open and scatter the seeds for some little
time. The seeds are light brown, angular, fairly hard,
with a stiff, brittle wing, the whole i to 7tr in. long;
 (. JhCuffi
33, Fl ow,'l's (Ii' tli (' Q u('c n " Fl owc l' 'J'l'l'l' (L agl'1 ,I /lol'lllia ,ljJI'ciosa) ,
Lagerstroernia] QUEEN OF FLOWERS 103

they are often unfertile. The tree seeds at an early age ;

vigorous plants raised from irrigated broadcast sowings at
Dehra Dun commenced to bear seed at the age of three
years.
Gardening.- " In full blossom in the mQrning the tree
looks as if mantled with roses, but the flowers change
through the day to a beautiful purple, making it appear
at evening, if seen from a short distance, like a bower of
English lilacs" (Hunter).
During the first season the growth of the seedling is
slow, a height of only 2 to 6 in. being ordinarily attained
by the end of the year; subsequently the growth is
considerably faster. Weeding and irrigation, particularly
the former, greatly stimulate growth. Owing to the
lightness of the seed and the small size of the young
seedlings, direct sowings are less suitable than transplanting
from the nursery.
Economic ualue.- The tree exudes a resin. The wood is
of a light walnut colour, reddish or nearly white, tough
and valuable under water, but not underground; used
in India for boats, canoes, gun carriages, carts, wagons,
ammunition box-boards, building, etc.; in Ceylon for
casks and various other purposes; in Burma, where it
is one of the most important timber trees, for somewhat
similar purposes; recommended for paving blocks;
weight per cubic foot, 41.77 lb.
In addition to its value for timber, the tree is every-
where admired for its beauty, and the main efforts seem
to be centred in growing it under cultivation for orna-
mental purposes. This is the most valuable timber of
Sylhet, Cachar and Chittagong and in Burma the next
in value after teak.
Medicinal properties and uses.- The root is prescribed
as an astringent. The root, bark, leaves and flowers
are used in native Indian medicine. It is stated that
the seeds are narcotic, the bark and leaves purgative.
The fruit is used in the Andamans as a local application
for aphthae of the mouth.
Vernacular names.- Assam : Ajhar, Jarul ; Bengal: Jarul ; Bombay :
Bondara Taman ; Burma : Eikmwe, Pyengma, Pyinma, Konepyinma ;
. 104 So.ME BEAUTIFUL TREES [LagmtrMnia

Canarese: ChaBa HoledachaBa, Holematti, Maruvachalla, Nirben-

deka; English: Queen's Flower, Queen of Flowers ; Garo: Bolasbari;
Hindi: Arjuna, Jarul; Ho: Garasekre; Kadir: Semmaruta;
Kolami: Garasaikre; Konkani: Tamonn; Magahi: Kamaung;
Nfalayalam: Atampu, Chemmaruta, Katalpu, Manimarutu, Nir-
marutu, Nirventekku, Puvalventekku; Marathi: Bondara, Mota-
bondara, Taman, Tamana; Mundari: Garasekere, Kuiri; Philippines:
Banaba; Sanskrit: Arjuna; Santali: Sekra; Sinhalese: Murutagass,
Murute; Tamil: Kadali, Kadalimugai, Kadalippuva, Pumarudu ;
Telugu : Varagogu; Tulu: Challa; Uriya: Ary, Jarulo, Patoli.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Queen Crapemyrtle.
 PLATE XXI

QUEEN OF FLOWERS

Lagerstmemia speciosa
 THE CREPE MYRTLE
LAOERSTROEMlA INDICA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. loth ed., 1076 (1759) ;
Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 575 (1879).
Another species of the same genus is widely grown in
Indian gardens: the Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica
Linn.), called Chinai-Mendhi. It is a native of China.
It is one of the most beautiful shrubs in our gardens and
grows to a height of 7 to 8 ft. The flowers hang in bunches
at the extremity of the branches. The flowers are usually
bright pink, but there are dark crimson, bluish, purplish
and white forms. It flowers at the beginning of the
rainy season. Easily propagated by cuttings or seeds.
It is widely spread throughout the tropics and the
warmer temperate regions of the globe.
The bark is considered stimulant and febrifuge.
In Indo-China the bark, leaves and flowers are said
to be purgative, hydragogue, drastic.
Vernacular names.- Bengal: Phurush, Telingachina; Bombay:
Chinaimendhy, Dhayti; English: Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle,
Crepe Plant, China Privet, Indian Lilac; Guam: Melindres; Hindi:
Chinaimendhi, Farash, Phufush, Saoni, Telingachina; Indo-China:
Tuong vi bang lang se, Tu vi bach nhat hong; Manila: Melindres;
Mexico: Astronomica; Tamil: Pavalakkurinji, Sinappu, Tindiyam ;
Telugu: Chinagoranta.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A. -Common Crapemyrtle.
 THE INDIAN CORK TREE
MILLINGTONIA HORTENSIS Linnaeus filius, SuppI. PI. 291 (178 I) ;
Hooker f., FI. Brit. India, 4, 377 (1884).
Syn. Bignonia suberosa Roxburgh, PI. Coromandel, 3, 11, t. 214 (1811),
FI. Ind. ed. alt., 3, II 1 (1832).
Sir Thomas Millington (1628-1704), English physician
and professor at Oxford, to whom Linnaeus's son dedicated
this genus, was credited by Grew in 1676 with the
suggestion that in the flower "the Attire [presumably
the stamens] doth serve as the Male for the Generation
of the Seed" and hence has been regarded as a discoverer
of sex in plants. The credit for proving experimentally
the fertilising effect of pollen on the pistil belongs to a
German professor, Rudolf J acob Camerarius (1665-J72J).
Hortensis means " pertaining to gardens."
Description.-An elegant, straight tree reaching as
much as 80 ft. in height, with drooping branchlets and a
graceful elongate crown of deep green foliage. Its
yellowish-grey bark is cracked and furrowed in various
directions with corky fissures.
The foliage is very handsome. The leaves attain a
length of 18 to 20 in. They are described as bi-pinnate or
tri-pinnate, that is, each leaf is composed of two to three
pairs of pinnae or minor leaves arranged in pairs along
the main rib. The pinnae bear smooth, oval or lance-
sha ped leaflets, 2 to 3 in. long. The young shoots are
slightly hairy below. Though never completely bare,.
the Cork Tree sheds a good proportion ofits leaves between
January and March and renews its foliage between April
and May.
In Bombay and the Konkan, flowering commences
about the end of October and continues right into
December; in other parts of Western India trees flower
in August and September. Decked in drooping masses
of snowy white flowers which stand out against the dark
foliage, the tree presents a beautiful appearance. Like
many of the members of its charming family, the
Bignoniaceae (Trumpet Flowers), the flowers have a
.06
 PLATE XXlI

INDlAN CORK TREE

Millillgtonia lWTiCItJiS
Millingtonia] INDIAN CORK TREE 10 7
delightful fragrance which fills the surrounding air. The
flowers grow in large panicles at the end of the branchlets.
The tiny bell-shaped calyx bears the pendant, slender
tube-like corolla. This tubular portion is 2 to 3 in. long
and of a faint green tinge; it expands into waxy white
petals. These are sometimes flushed with pink. The
petals are oval, pointed at the apex, and the largest of
them is deeply cleft. There are four stamens crowned with

yellow anthers. The style protrudes well beyond the

petals. The fruit is slender, compressed and pointed at
both ends. I t grows to a foot and a half in length.
The seeds are flat. They measure an inch across. Each
seed is surrounded by a tender wing which is narrowed
at the top and absent at the base. The tree does not
produce fruit in Western India or in the Central Provinces.
Distribution.- The Indian Cork Tree is believed to be
indigenous in the tropical forests of Burma from Ava to
Tenasserim and the Malay Archipelago. It is cultivated
largely in many parts of India and runs wild in certain
areas of Central India as in the valley of the Godavari
river. Roxburgh mentions that, about 1800, seeds of this.
tree were brought to Madras from the gardens of the
Raja of Tanjore, from which a plant was also procured
· 108 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Millingtonia

for the East India Company's Botanic Garden at Calcutta.

Gardening.-It is a fairly common roadside tree in
Western India. Though ornamental, it is not very suitable
for avenues, as it is tall rather than spreading. The tree
is fast growing. The specimen in the Botanic Gardens at
Calcutta, to which we refer, reached a height of 50 ft. in
twelve years.
"The tree is decidedly hardy, and is not particular
as to soil; although it grows best in a moist climate,
it does fairly well in dry situations. It is, however, brittle
and shallow-rooted, and is liable to be broken or uprooted
by strong winds. It has a tendency to send up root-
suckers in great profusion, which is a disadvantage in
gardens. It is easily raised from seed when obtainable,
from cuttings put down in the spring or from root-suckers
put down and transplanted during the rainy season. Seed
should be sown in the nursery as soon as it ripens, towards
the end of the hot season, and the seedlings, which bear
transplanting well, should be planted out a year later at
the beginning of the rainy season" (Troup).
Uses.-The wood is soft and yellowish. It is close-
grained and takes a fine polish and is used for furniture
and ornamental work; weight 42 lb. per cubic foot.
From the bark, which is about an inch thick, an inferior
kind of cork is made.
Vernacular names.- Bombay: Akasnim, Nimichambeli; Burma:
Aykayet, Egay.it; Canarese: Beratu; English: Indian Cork Tree,
Tree Jasmine; Hindi: Akasnim, M.in.ichambeli; Malayalam:
Katesam; Marathi: Cowlanim, Nimichambel; Sanskrit: Akasha-
nimbu ; Tamil: Karkku, Kattumalli, Kirimalligai, Kudasam,
Malaimalligai, Maramalligai, Sakkaram, Vachagam; Telugu:
Akashamalle, Karaku, Kavuki, Manumalle; Uriya: Macbmach,
Modhumodhu, Simaromonophulo.

BIGNONIACEAE
The family takes its name from the Abbe Jean Paul
Bignon (1662-1743), Librarian to Louis XIV of France.
It is remarkable for the beauty of its flowers and principally
inhabits the tropics, especially of America.
I t is represented in our gardens by Millingtonia,
Spathodea, Jacaranda, Tecomella and others.
34. The Indian C rk Trl'e (.Hillingionia ilOrlCllsis) on a roadside in Bom bay.

C. Meen/IN
35 . Flowers of the Indian Cork Tree (Millillgtollia hortcllSis).
 THE COPPER-POD
PELTOPHORUM ROXDUROaII (G. Don) Degener, Fl. Hawaiiensis, fam .
169 b (1938).
Syn. Caesalpinia i,zcr11lis Roxburgh, Hortus Bengal. 90 (1814), name
only; Fl. Ind. ed. alt. z, 367 ( r832 )- Poinciana Roxburghii G.
Don, Gen. Syst. z, 433 (1832 )-CaesalpiTlia ferruginea Decaisne in
Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 3, 462 (1834 )-Peltophorum
f errugineum (Decne) Bentham, Fl. Austral. z, 279 (1864) ; Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, z, 257 (I 878 )- Peltophorum inerrne Naves in
Blanco, Fl. Filipinas, 3rd ed. t. 335 (1875-83 )-Pcltophorum
inerme (Roxb. ) Merrill in Philipp. Journal Sci. Bot. 5, 57 (1910).
The generic name Peltophorum means" shield-bearing "
(from Greek 7T£;\T'T} [pelte] "a small light shield ") and
refers to the peltate stigma. The specific epithet Roxburghii
commemorates William Roxburgh (1751-1815), a Scots
doctor in the employ of the Hon. East India Company,
from 1793 to 1814 superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic
Garden. Unfortunately his Flora Indica was not published
during his lifetime.
Description.- A large, handsome tree growing from
40 to 80 ft. in height. It has a smooth grey bark and a
spreading crown of many branches. The feathery mimosa-
like leaves add to its handsome appearance. The leaves
are twice abruptly pinnate. They consist of a main axis
or rhachis from 6 in. to a foot in length along which are
arranged some 6 to 20 pairs of pinnae, each bearing
about 20 to 30 close-set stalkless leaflets. Deep green in
colour, the leaflets are oblong in shape, notched at the
apex and unequal-sided. They are smooth above, almost
leathery in texture and covered with slight down on th e
under surface. In December ther is a sprinkling of yellow
leaves among the foliage of many of the trees in Bombay.
Leaf fall then commences and continues through January
and, though never completely denuded, by the end of
the month the trees look ragged and untidy. The young
leaves come out in early February. The trees are mantled
in the tenderest green. In a week or two the colour changes
1 09
. lID SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Peltoplwrum

to deep green. About mid-February rust-red upright

shoots covered with downy hair spring up at the tips of
the branches. They grow rapidly and some become
quite conspicuous. They develop into many branched
sprays bearing a profusion of bright yellow flowers.
Crowned in their abundance of blooms the trees are a
wonct'2 rful sight. The ground below them is carpeted

with fallen blossoms. The flower is cupped in a coppery-

red downy calyx. Its wavy yellow petals are inversely
oval in shape, hairy at the base and much crinkled about
the margins. Its ten free stamens are clothed with dense
tufts of hairs at the base and crowned with golden-yellow
anthers. The style is long and thread-like. The copper-
red pods cover the tree in profusion. They are particularly
conspicuous during leaf fall. The pods are oblong, flat,
very thin and hard, narrowed at both ends and closely
veined. They grow from 2 to 4 in. in length by about
an inch in breadth. The seeds are brown.
Flowering season.- In Bombay the flowering season
commences in March, reaches its height in April and
 COPPER-POD

Peltophorum Roxburghii
 Peltoplwrum] COPPER-POD III

continues through May. Some trees come into flower

later and are in full bloom during June. Alongside trees
in full flower there are others in ripe fruit. There is a
second blooming in September which is carried through
October and November. Individual trees will be found
in flower late in December.
Distribution.-The tree is a native of Ceylon, the
Andamans, the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago and
North Australia.

Gardening.-Much cultivated for ornament. A large

number of these trees have been planted alternately
with Gul Mohur (Delonix regia) trees on Hughes Road
in Bombay. In April and May they make a wonderful
blaze of colour, their bright yellow crowns contrasting
with the scarlet heads of the Gul Mohurs. The tree is
easily propagated from seed, the seed pods being freely
produced.
Uses.-The timber is much in request for cabinet work
(Hill). It is blackish, the sapwood white, coarse, fibrous,
light (Kurz, Forest Flora of Burma).
Vernacular names.-English; Rusty Shield-bearer; Tamil: Ivalva-
gai, Perungondrai; Telugu: Kondachinta.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Sogabark Peltophorum.
 THE PAGODA TREE
PLUMERlA RUBRA Linnaeus forma ACUTIFOUA (Poiret) Woodson in
Ann. Missouri Bot. Gdn. 25, 211 (1938).
Syn. Plumeria acutifolia Poiret in Lamarck, Encycl. Meth. Bot. Suppl.
z, 667 (1812 ) ; Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, 3, 641 (1882).
The generic name Plumeria is after the Franciscan
traveller and distinguished French botanist, Charles
Plumier (1664- 1706); acutifolia describes the pointed or
tapering leaves. The genus Plumeria is included in the
family Apocynaceae, the Dogbanes.
Mr C. E. C. Fischer, late of the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, writes as follows in reference to the name :-
"The correct name of the genus is Plumeria. It is
made in honour of a Frenchman named Plumier, it is
true, but Tournefort latinized his name to Plumerius.
He wrote 'Plumeria, ab inventore Clariss. Plumerio.'
Linnaeus took up the name as Plumeria and that spelling
must be retained."
This is the tree so frequently cultivated in the neigh-
bourhood of temples, where it supplies the continuous
demand for flowers used as votive offerings to the gods.
Its remarkable power of bursting into leaf and blooming
even when taken out of the soil has led it to be regarded
as an emblem of immortality. As such its frequent
presence in graveyards is not altogether inappropriate.
The author of The Cruise of the Marchesa refers to the
Dead Man's Flower dropping its deliciously fragrant
blossoms over the quaint tombs of the Sulu islanders;
Writing of this tree he says, " Buddhist and Mahommedan
alike plant the Champac above their dead. So should
we, I think, did our climate permit it. Day after day
throughout the year, the tree blooms. Day after day
the delicately creamy corollas fall upon the graves, retain-
ing both their freshness and their fragrance unlike any
other flower."
Description.-The Pagoda Tree grows from 15 to 20 ft.
III height. Its grey-coloured bark is rough and scaly.
 Plumeria] PAGODA TREE
On injury the inner bark and every part of the tree
exude a copious flow of a white and viscid juice, hence
its Sanskrit name, Kishira-champa, meaning "Milky
Champa." The leaves grow in crowded spirals at the
tips of the branches. The leaf is slightly over a foot in

length. It is smooth, broadly lance-shaped and tapers at

both ends. Very distinctive are the straight, parallel veins
which run from the mid-rib to the margin of the leaf,
where they are absorbed in a waved vein which runs along
its borders. The Pagoda Tree sheds its leaves during
November and December and does not renew them till
the commencement of the rains. Young trees remain in
leaf through the year. In full leaf the tree is not without
elegance but, stripped of its handsome foliage, its crooked
trunk and the grotesque outlines of its blunt and swollen
branches give it an uncouth and gouty appearance. The
p
· 114 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Plumeria

flowers grow in upright clusters at the tips of the branches.

In well-cultivated trees the clusters are large and contain
quite as many as twenty blooms. The large, waxy white
flower has a distinctive golden centre. It is funnel-shaped
with five spreading petals, faintly tinged with pink below .
.The left margin of each petal has a tendency to curl over.
The stamens are inserted deep within the tube of the
flower. They are not visible externally. These are

perhaps amongst the most fragrant of tropical flowers.

They distil, particularly at night, a perfume which is
almost overpowering.
Flowering season.- February to October; practically
throughout the year.
The fruit is a pod about 5 in. long. The Pagoda
Tree rarely seeds in this country.
Variery.- There is a handsome variety of P. rubra in
which the buds are a deep, glossy crimson. When fully
open half the underside of each petal is a dull crimson,
the other half creamy white. The curling edge of the
petal displays a beautiful, crimson margin and the throat
of the flower is more vividly golden than in the commoner
variety. This is P. rosea f. tricolor.
Distribution.-A native of Mexico and Guatemala, the
Pagoda Tree is believed by some writers, though wrong Iv,
 PLATE XXIV

FRANGIPA.NI

Plumeria rubra rubra (left)

PAGODA TREE

Plumeria rubra acutifolia (right)

 Plumeria] PAGODA TREE

to be indigenous to China and Cambodia. Rumphius,

who first described the tree under the name Flos convolutus,
says it was brought to Amboyna by Chinese merchants from
Cambodia. Its Hindustani name, Gul-e-chin, meaning
"Flower of China," and the Burmese name, China-
champac, suggest that it likewise reached India via China.
In 1770 it was introduced into England as a hot-house
plant from the East Indies.
Gardening.-The tree is propagated by cuttings which
should be allowed to wilt before planting. At first they
should not be kept too moist. The hot season is the
best time for planting. During the cold weather large
specimens may be transplanted without the accompanying
soil.
Uses.- Attempts to manufacture caoutchouc from the
viscid juice of this tree have been without success. The
sap is employed with sandalwood oil and camphor to
cure itch, and is used as a counter-irritant to cure
rheumatic pains.
The bark, known as A'chin, is recommended by the
Persians as a cure for gonorrhrea and venereal sores. It
is used for a similar purpose in Porto Rico. In Bombay
it is used for intermittent fevers as we use Cinchona.
In the Konkan, it is given with coconut, ghee and rice
as a remedy for diarrhrea. A decoction from the bark
makes a powerful anti-herpetic. Its use as a purgative
is not without danger. Several cases of death from
excessive purging after its use have been recorded. Plasters
made from the bark are said to be useful in dispersing
hard tumours.
The leaves, after being heated, are applied as a poultice
to reduce swellings. In Goa the leaves and branches are
tied round coconut palms to protect them against the
attacks of the Long-horned Beetle (Batocera rubra).
The flower buds are taken with betel leaves as a
febrifuge. The seeds, when available, are boiled in milk
and given as an antidote in cases of snake-bite. Mr Millard
once had a few seed-pods on one of the trees in his garden
in Bombay and his Mahratta malis expressed the belief
that the seeds were eaten by cobras. The seeds certainly
116 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Plumeria

disappeared but he had his suspicion that the malis were

in league with the cobras.
Both the bark and the fruit are useless in the antidotal
and symptomatic treatment of snake bite; the fruit is
also useless as an external application to the part bitten
(Mhaskar and Caius).
Popular beliefs.-It is generally admitted that the seed
of the Pagoda Tree is the antidote par excellence in cases
of cobra bite. And the proof thereof is that the tree rarely
seeds·-and that because cobras intentionally destroy the
pods !
Vernacular names.- Assam : Goalanchi; Bengal: Dalanaphula, Gobur-
champa, Gorurchampa; Bombay: Charneli, Champa, Dolochapa,
Gutachin, Khadchampo, Khairchampa, Sonchampa ; Burma: China-
cham pac, Taroksaga, Tayopsagah; Cambodia: Champei; Canarese :
Belcharnpaka, Champaka, Devaganagalu, Devaganagile, Ganagala,
Gosampige, Kadusampage, Kanagile, Mogaganagile; Central
Provinces: Champa; Ceylon: Alariya; Dehra Dun: Gulachin,
Gulchin; English: Dead Man's Flower, Frangipani, Graveyard
Flower, Jasmine Tree, Pagoda Tree, Spanish Jasmine, Temple
Flower, Temple Tree; French: Bois de lait, Frangipanier ; Gold
Coast: Frangipani, Temple Flower; GOlld: Champapungar;
Gujerati: Dolochampo, ' Rhadachampo; Hindi: Cham eli, Gobur-
champ, Golainchi, Gulachin, Gulainchi; Indo-China: Bong su do,
Bong su rna, Champey sar, Daid hoa su trang, Kok don, Mien chi
tl,l, Ti ampa; Konkani : Portugalo champo; Malayalam: Arali,
Vellachampakam, Velattalari; Marathi: Khairchampa, Rhuru-
chapha, Sonchampa; Mundari: Golanchi; Naguri: Golainciba,
Golaincidaru; Persian: Gulacin ; Sanskrit: Devaganagalu, Gosarn-
pige, Kishirachampa; Santali : Charnpapungar, Gulanjbaha;
Sinhalese: Alariya; Tagalog : Calachuchi, Calasusi, Calatsutsi,
Carachucha; Tamil : Ilattalari, Kallimandarai, Kuppiyalari, Navil-
lavalari, Perungalli; Telugu: Arhataganneru, Nuruvarahalu, Vada-
ganneru, Veyyivarahalu; Tulu: Gosarnpige, Sarnpai; Uraoll:
Gulaici; Urdu: Achin; Uriya: Golochi, Kutokornpa, Torato;
Visayan: Calatucha.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Mexican Frangipani.

A. PLUMERIA Tourn.
Tropical trees noted for their showy and very fragrant
flowers. Vying in this respect with the jessamine, Cape
jasmine, and tuberose, the Plumerias are extensively
cultivated in all tropical lands. The species are much
Plumeria] FRANGIPANI J 17

confused and imperfectly understood. Woodson in his

revision of the genus (Ann. Missouri Bot. Gdn., 25,
189- 22 4, 1938), reduces to 7 species the 66 proposed
by other authors !
THE FRANGIPANI
PLUMERlA RUBRA Limlaeus, Sp. PI. I, 209 (1753) forma RUBRA.
Syn. Plumeria rubra f. typica Woodson in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gdn.
%5, 2 11 (1938).
On our coloured plate the artist has included a
flowering branch of the Frangipani, the name of which
is supposed to have come from that of an Italian nobleman
of the Frangipani family who, in the Middle Ages, com-
pounded a perfume of many ingredients which had an
odour similar to these flowers.
Description.-Smaller than the Pagoda Tree, the Frangi-
pani grows to a height of 12 to 20 ft. With its beautiful
red flowers and handsome foliage it is especially orna-
mental. The leaves are smaller than those of the Pagoda
Tree, being 5 to 8 in. long. The flowers grow in crowded
clusters on downy, red stalks. The petals are red, centred
with rich yellow. They are broadly oval in shape and
rounded at the apex. The flowers have a pleasant scent
which is not so overpowering as in the Pagoda Tree. In
South America, women adorn themselves with these
flowers and put them among linen to scent it as we do
lavender.
Distribution.- The native home of the Frangipani
extends from Mexico to Guiana and Ecuador.
Economic value.- The extract, more especially that from
the young branches, has been found to contain a fair
proportion of caoutchouc; an analysis showed 25'5 per
cent., with 21 '9 per cent. resinous matter and 15' 7 per cent.
water.
The plant is easily raised from cuttings (strong ends
of the branches a foot or more long) and thrives in sandy
or stony soil with a rainfall of about 25 in. and upwards;
it grows quickly and is very desirable for decorative
purposes, though the stems have a somewhat bare appear-
ance if not kept lopped regularly.
Il8 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Piumeria

Vernacular ,UJmes.-English: Jasmine Tree, Red Jasmine ofJamaica,

True Frangipani; French Guiana: Frangipanier rose; Gold Coast :
Red Frangipani; La Rlunion: Frangipanier rouge; Loanda : Jasmin
mangueira; Marathi: Lalchampa.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Nosegay Frangipani.

THE WHITE FRANGIPANI

PLUMERIA ALBA Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 1,210 (1753).
Another species of Plumeria which is not so common
is the White Frangipani, P. alba. It is a native of the
West Indies, i.e. of Puerto Rico and many of the Lesser
Antilles. The tree is about 15 ft. in height. Its rigid
brittle leaves are rounded at the apex. They are smooth
above, hairy beneath and curl inwards at the margins.
As with P. rubra, the tree remains in leaf through the
cold and hot weather. The flowers are white without
the yellow throat.
Vernacular names.-English: White Chumpa, White Frangipani;
French: Bois de lait, Frangipanier, Laurier batard; French Guiana:
Bois de lait, Frangipanier blanc; La Reunion: Frangipanier blanc;
Sanskrit: Kananakaravira; Tamil: Peru, Perumallari, Perungalli ;
Telugu : Veyyivarahalu.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-White Frangipani.

B. APOCYNACEAE
The members of the family Apocynaceae (from Greek
a7rOKUJ/Ol> [ap6kunonJ, "dog's bane") principally inhabit

the inter-tropical zone of the Old and New Worlds,

especially Asia beyond the Equator. They are com-
paratively rare in extra-tropical hot and temperate
regions. Most of the species possess a milky juice, often
rich in indiarubber; sometimes bitter and employed as
a purgative or febrifuge, or depurative; sometimes acrid
and very poisonous; sometimes mild, scarcely bitter,
and simply laxative; finally, sometimes acid-sweet or
unctuous, and much sought as food.
PLATE XXV

PADAUK

PteroCar!JUS indicus
 THE PADAUK
PrEROCARPUS INDICUS Willdenow, Sp. PI. 3 (ii), 904 (1802); Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, 2 , 238 (1876).

Though commonly referred to as the Padauk in towns

and stations, this is not the true Padauk of Burma, which
is Pterocarpus macrocarpus. They belong to the family
Papilionaceae of the order Leguminosae.
The generic name derived from the Greek means
" winged fruit" and refers to the pods produced by the
trees of the genus.
Description.-The tree grows to a height of 50 ft. It
has a straight trunk with smooth olive-coloured bark and
a wide crown of dark green foliage and wavy drooping
branches. The branches are few and tend to form low
on the comparatively short bole. The leaves, 8 to 10 in.
long, grow alternately on the branches. Each leaf is
composed of 8 to 10 leaflets arranged alternately on the
stalk. The leaflets are 3 to 4 in. long and 2 to 2t in.
broad. They are glossy on both sides, oval, with smooth
margins and notched at the apex, their stalks smooth,
slightly channelled and flexuous. About the last week
in May, in Bombay, or early in the rains (June), the
tree is covered with clusters of fragrant deep orange or
yellow flowers. They grow in single or compound racemes
from the joints of the branchlets, while single racemes form
a much larger panicle at the ends of the branchlets. The
flower has a short five-toothed calyx, the two upper lobes
being larger than the rest. The petals comprise an erect
wrinkled, claw-like banner petal flanked by two curly
wing petals of the same colour and two smaller and paler
and less curly keel petals. The ten stamens are united
to form two equal bunches of five, capped by smaIl
two-lobed, deep yellow anthers; the style is shorter than
the stamens and the stigma acute. The pod is 1 to 2 in.
in diameter. It is round and wrinkled, very tough and
woody, its central part containing one, rarely two, brown,
smooth and shinin g seeds.
119
 120 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Pterocarpus

Flowering and fruiting. - The flowers appear in two or

three separate flushes early in the rainy season, about
May to July, and the pods ripen in the cold season, about
January and February (Troup).
Mr R. H. Macaulay, of Wallace Bros. & Co. (Bombay-
Burma Trading Corporation), writes as follows; "The
peculiarity of the tree is that all the Padauk trees burst
into flower on the same day. If I saw a Padauk in flower
in the bungalow compound, I was sure to see Padauks
in flower all the way down to my office in Rangoon.
I think the flower did not last long and fairly soon the
trees flowered again. The Burmans used to say that the
rains would not come until the Pad auk had flowered
three times."
The flowers are so short-lived that it has been with
much difficulty that we have been able to obtain a
coloured sketch of this tree.
Distribution and habitat.-Common as a roadside tree
all over the Malay Peninsula, is believed to be indigenous
in the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, whence it has
been introduced into Burma, where it has been largely
planted in gardens and along roadsides and avenues in
the damper parts of the country. It has also been planted
to a small extent about Calcutta and Madras. More
recently it has been introduced into Bombay, where it
promises to do well (Troup).
This tree was first introduced into Bombay by Mr Justice
(afterwards Sir Edmund) Fulton, I.O.s., who sent three
or four young trees from Rangoon to Mr W. S. Millard
about 1906. These were all planted and have flourished,
the one planted in the University Gardens flowering
each year towards the end of May. There is a con-
siderable number of these trees growing in and around
Bombay now.
Gardening.- The tree may be propagated from seed;
loose soil and protection from sun favour the early develop-
ment of the seedling, but the seedlings are very sensitive
to frost and do not survive when frosts are prevalent.
The tree thrives best in a tropical climate with a rainfall
of not less than 60 in. It requires a deep well-drained
Pterocarpus] PADAUK 121

soil and does not thrive on stiff clay. The tree is commonly
propagated by large cuttings, which should be planted
in the prepared pits in rather sandy soil early in the
rainy season, or, if watering can be carried out, about the
month of February. Nursery-raised plants are ready for
transplanting at the commencement of the second rains,
when they are rather more than one year old; planting
can be most successfully carried out by transferring the
seedlings to bamboo baskets during the first rains and
planting them out in the baskets during the second rains
(Troup).
Uses.-In Burma the tree is often cultivated for its
sweet-scented flowers and as an ornament. As it is in
full foliage during the hot weather it is largely planted
for shade.
The wood is used for furniture, and is excellent for
carts and gun-carriages.
The tree produces a gum which, when dried, is as
good as the true Indian kino derived from P. marsupium.
The kernel of the fruit is emetic. The wood is much
used in Cambodia for its anti thermic and antimalarial
properties; it is also considered diuretic and anti-
dysenteric.
Vernacular names.-Andamans: Chalangada ; Burma: Padauk,
Patouk, Toungkhayai; Cambodia: Chankraham; Canarese: Ronne;
English: Andaman Redwood, Malay Padauk, Padauk; Malaya:
Angsana; Philippines: Agana, Antagan, Asana, Daitanag, Naga,
Narra; Tamil: Vengai; Telugu: Ettavegisa, Gandamrigapunetturu,
Simagandamrigapunetturu.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Burma-coast Padauk.
 THE SILK-COTTON TREE
SALMALIA MALABARICA (DC.) Schott and Endlicher, Meletemata Bot.
35 ( 1832).
Syn. Bombax malabaricum De Candolle, Prodr. 1,479 (1824); Hooker
f., Fl. Brit. India, I, 349 (1874)-Gossampinus rubra Buchanan-
Hamilton in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, IS, 128 (1827)-
Gossampinus malabarica (DC. ) Merrill in Lingnan Sci. Journal,
5 (for 1927), 126 (1928).
Description.-A tall deciduous tree with wide spreading
branches arranged in whorls. The stem is usually un-
divided and is generally supported at the base with large
buttresses. The colour of the bark is grey; it is covered

with sharp, conical prickles which disappear with increas-

ing age. The leaf is large and hairless. It is composed
of from 3 to 7 long, lance-shaped, more or less leathery
leaflets, arranged like the fingers of a hand, on a long
common stalk. The diagram illustrates the shape and
arrangement of the leaflets. The crimson flowers are
large and numerous. They grow in clusters on short
thick stalks towards the ends of the branches, and appear
before the new leaves. Occasionally the flowers are
yellowish or white.
 PLATE XXVl

SILK-COTTON TREE

Salmalia malabarica
SalmaZia] SILK-COTTON TREE 12 3

Calyx thick, fleshy, cup-shaped, smooth outside, bright

silky hairy within. The petals are hairy on the outside,
slightly hairy within. They are fleshy, bent back and

Stigma

marked with close parallel veins. The petals may be

from 3 to 6 in. long. The stamens, of which there are
more than 60, are pink, flattened, slightly hairy, rather
more than half as long as the petals. They are united
only at the base to form 5 separate bundles containing
from 9 to 12 stamens each. There is, in addition, an inner
bundle of 15 stamens of which the 5 innermost are the
· 124 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Salmalia

longest; the anthers are long and brown. The accom-

panying drawing of a longitudinal section of the flower
illustrates its general form and the arrangement of the
inner organs. The ovary is conical in shape. It contains
5 cells, each holding many ovules. The ovary tapers at
the apex to form a club-shaped style which exceeds the
stamens in length and ends in 5 slender projections- the
stigmas.
The fruit attains a length of 4 to 5 in. It is oblong-
egg-shaped, downy without and lined within with white
silky hairs. I t contains many dark brown seeds packed
in white cotton.
Leaf-shedding.- In dry localities the trees start shedding
their leaves at the beginning of December and are leafless
by the end of that month. In moist localities the trees
may keep their leaves till March. The new leaves make
their appearance in March and April.
Flowers.-The large dark brown buds become visible
in the month of December and the flowers come out in
January and February, and sometimes continue till
March. At the time of flowering the trees are usually
leafless, but when flowers and leaves appear at the same
time, the :flowers are usually less numerous.
" The trees when in full flower present a striking blaze
of colour ; the :fleshy petals are attacked by crows, mynahs,
and other birds, and when they fall to the ground they
are eagerly devoured by deer. I have observed squirrels
(Sciurus maximus) eating the flower-buds in quantities.
Pollination is affected by bees, which visit the flowers
in large numbers, as well as by 'birds, which seek the
nectar or search for insects, and get their heads covered
with pollen. Even martens (Martes flavigula) have been
observed visiting the flowers in search of nectar"
(Troup).
Fruits.-They ripen in April and May. Usually they
open whilst still on the tree, but sometimes after falling.
As the seeds are packed in masses of silky hairs they are
easily blown about by the wind.
Distribution.-Indigenous throughout India and Burma,
except in the most arid tracts. In the sub-Himalayan
Salmalia] SILK-COTION TREE 12 5

tract it extends from the Indus eastwards, ascending to

3500 ft. in the N.W. Himalaya, and is cultivated as high
as . 6000 ft.; very common throughout the Bombay
Presidency, in the Satpuras in exposed situations on hard
trap-rock at 3700 ft., in all forest districts of the Madras
Presidency. Also in Ceylon, Yunnan, Cochin China,
Tonkin, Siam, Java, Sumatra, Queensland and North
Australia.
Economic value.-The tree yields a brown astringent,
gum-like substance, known as mocharas and frequently
seen in Indian bazaars.
The inner bark of the tree yields a good fibre suitable
for cordage. Boatmen in Indo-China use the gummy
fresh bark to stop holes in their craft.
The seeds yield cotton, a fibre too short and too soft
to be spun.
The wood is whitish, coarse-grained, weak and brittle
and subject to the attacks of white ants. A cubic foot
weighs 28 lb.; it improves and is rendered more durable
by moisture. In the Bombay Presidency the planks are
extensively used in making the light packing boxes needed
in the export of bulky goods from Bombay and other
places, also for fishermen's floats; in Burma it is used
for coffins, planks, doors and boxes; in the Punjab it is
a favourite for well-curbs, water conduits, troughs
and bridges; in Kangra and Yusufzai it is made into
scabbards. The main use of the timber in Western India
is for match manufacture; it is the principal timber
used for this in Bombay.
Domestic uses.-The calyx of the flower is eaten as a
vegetable. The leaves and twigs are lopped for fodder.
The silky floss which clothes the seeds is made into
tinder, and is used for stuffing cushions and pillows.
Medicinal properties and uses.- Practically every part of
the plant is used by Ayurveda practitioners; but only
the gum is recognized by Yunani doctors.
Caius and Mhaskar have shown experimentally that,
contrary to the accepted opinion, neither the flower nor
the fruit has any antidotal value against snake or scorpion
venoms.
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Salmalia

Popular beliefs.-In the Mahabharata it is related that

Pitamaha, after having created the world, reposed under
the tree Salmuli.
Vernacular names.-The tree is called in Sanskrit" Yamadruma,"
tree of the infernal regions, because it makes a great show of flowers,
but produces no fruit fit to eat.
Basim; Khatsawar; Bengal; RoktosimuI, SimuI; Bhil; Katseori ;
Bombay; Katsevari, Saer, Saur, Semul, ShembaI, Somr; Burma;
Didu, La-i, Lepanbin, Letpan ; Cambodia; Roka ; Canarese ; Apurani,
Buraga, Burga, BurIa, Dudi, Elava, Hatti, Kempuburaga, Kempu-
burga, MuUelava, Mulluburaga, Pishphele, Sauri; Central Provinces;
Semar, Semur; Ceylon: Parutti; Chinese: Mu Mien; Deccan:
Kantonkakhatyan, Kantonkasemul, Lalkhatyan; English: Cotton
Tree, Red Cotton Tree, Red Silk-cotton Tree, Silk-cotton Tree;
Formosa: Moc-main, Pun-chi; French; Bombax de Malabar,
Cotonnier Mapou, Kapokier du Tonkin; Garhwal: Shimal; Garo;
Bolchu, Panchu; Gond: Vallaiki; Gujerat: Ratoshemalo, Sauvor,
Sawar, Shemalo, Shimar, Shimlo, Shimul; Hazara; Simbal;
Hindi: Kantisembal, Pagun, Ragatsemal, Ragatsembal, Raktasemul,
Semal, Semul, Semur, Shimbal, Simal, Som; Indo-China: Gao,
Sich moc mien thu; Khond: Kamba; Kolami: Del, Edel, Idel ;
Konkani: Sanvor, Sauvor ; Kumaoll : Shimlo; Lambadi: Chamblero;
Lepcha; Sunglu, Tung-gIu; Magahi; Lapaing; Malaya: Mooh
min. Simur; lvfalayalam; Ilavu, Mocha, Mullilavu, Pichila, Pula,
Purani, Unnamuriku; Mal Paharia: Simur; Marathi: Kantasair,
Kanterisamar, Kantesavar, Khatsawar, Sair, Sairi, Samar, Savara,
Savari, Sayar, Sernal, Shevari, Simlo, Tarnari; Matheran; Sarvar,
Tarnbdisarvar; Melghat: Saori; Mundari; Edelsanga; Palkonda:
Wuraga; Persian: Sornbal; Portuguese: Algodoeiro do matto,
Arvore de panha, Panheira sumauma; Punjab; Sum; Sanskrit;
Apurani, Kantadruma, Mocha, Shalmali, Yamadruma; Santali:
EdeI; Saora: Buroh; Sinhalese: Kattuimbul; Sutlej; ShirIan;
Tagalog: Bobuygubat, Buboygubat, Malabulac; Tamil: Agigi,
Ilavam, IIavu, Kongu, Mullilavu, Parutti, Pongar, Pulai, Purani,
Sallagi, Samani, Sanmali, Selavagu, Sittan, Surabu; Telugu :
Buraga, Kondaburaga, Mundlaburaga, Pinnaburaga, Salmali; Tulu:
Ala, Mullala; Uriya: Buro, Mochoroso, Salmali, Simuli; Visayan:
Quesero, Salay, Talutu.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Malabar Simal-tree.

A. SALMALIA Schott and Endlicher

The genus Salmalia belongs to the family Bombacaceae
(included by Bentham and Hooker in the family Malvaceae)
and comprises the Asiatic species with a deciduous calyx,
hairless receptacle and a conical or swollen stamen-tube
 SalmaliaJ SALMALIA 12 7

formerly included in Bombax. * The name IS a latinised

form of the Sanskrit name Salmali. There are about
10 species.
They are deciduous trees with digitate leaves. The
flowers arise from the axils of the leaves and are gathered
at the end of branchlets. The calyx is leathery, cup-
shaped and splitting irregularly. The petals are 5. The
stamens are many, inserted at the base of the calyx,
united into 5 bundles opposite to the petals. The frui t
is 5-celled; the cells are thickly clothed inside with long
silky hairs, in which the seeds are embedded in dense
wool.
KEY
I. Stamens 60 to 70 S. malabarica.
II. Stamens about 400 to 600
I. Flowers scarlet or white S. insignis.
2. Flowers salmon-pink . S. scopulorum.
III. Stamens about 350 S. anceps.
SALMALIA INSIONIS (Wall.) Schott and Endlicher, Meletemata Bot. 35
( 1832 ).
Syn. Bombax insigne Wallich, PI. Asiat. Rar. I , 74, tt. 79, 80 (1830) ;
Hooker f., Fl. Brit. India, I , 349 (1874)-Gossampinus insignis
(Wall.) Bakhuizen in Bull. Jardin Bot. Buitenzorg III, 6, 190
(19 2 4).
A very large tree, with more or less prickly bark.
Leaves hairless, long-stalked; stalks as long or longer
than the leaflets; leaflets 5 to 9 or more, 5 to 6 in. long,
inversely egg-shaped, narrowed at the base; stalks of
leaflets t to k in. long. The foliage of this species is
difficult to distinguish from that of S. malabarica. Flowers
* The restriction of the name Bombax to an American genus
makes necessary the use of another name for the Old World species.
Bakhuisen van den Brink in his "Revisio Bombacacearum" (Bull.
Jardin Bot. Buitenzorg, III, 6, 161-232; 1924) adopted Gossampinus
Buchanan-Hamilton, which was published by Buchanan-Hamilton
without any generic description in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 15,
128 (1827) and is illegitimate. Hence the correct name is Salmalia
validly published by Schott and Endlicher in their Meletemata
Botanica (1832); the unusual title of this book, from the Greek
f.'€:\n·7If.'a-ra [m~l(!temataJ, means" botanical exercises or examples."
Reference may be made to the paper by C. X. Furtado, "The
typification of Bombax, Gossampinus and Salmalia " in Gardens Bull. ,
Straits Settlements, 10, 173-r81 (1939).-W.T.S.
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Salmalia

larger than in the previous species, solitary, on a thick,

dub-shaped, prickly stalk which is jointed at the top.
Calyx If in. long, irregularly splitting at the top and
finally deeply 2-deft, sometimes prickly at the base
outside, densely silky-hairy within. Corolla showy, scarlet
or white; petals long, strap-shaped, S by It in., narrowed
at the base, densely tomentose on both surfaces. Stamens
400 to 600, arranged in bundles, but not so distinctly
as in S. malabarica; filaments filiform, 3 in. long, forked
at the tip. Ovary egg-shaped, red-hairy. Style longer
than the stamens; stigma s-lobed. Fruit a capsule,
long, sausage-shaped, woody, 7 to 10 in. long, obscurely
5-angular, hairless.
Flowers much earlier than S. malabarica.
Distribution.- Burma (Pegu) ; Andamans; common on
the Ghats of the Western Peninsula from the Konkan
southwards, gregarious in northern Kanara from the
coast upwards to the crest of the Ghats, also in the Konkan
and Deccan districts, Anamalai Hills.
Uses.-The wood is more durable than that of the
ordinary Silk-cotton Tree and also used in match manu-
facture. The cubic foot weighs 3 I lb. The tree yields a
brown gum.
Vernacular names.-Burma: Didu; Malayalam: Kallilavu, Kattupula,
Paryailavu; Tamil : Kattilavu, Paraiyilavu; Bengal: Semultula;
Magahi: Saitu.
SALMALlA SCOPULORUM (Dunn) Steam.
Syn. Bombax scopulorum Dunn in Gamble, Fl. Madras, x, 100 (1915),
Kew Bull. 1916, 65.
A small tree, having the appearance of the ordinary
Cotton Tree but never attaining its size; about 40 ft.
high, I ft. diameter; stem covered with prickles in
clusters of I to 12, about i in. long. Leaves of 6 to 8
stalkless leaflets, 5 to 9 by I to 2 in., lance-shaped, dark
green and hairless above. Flowers salmon-pink, 4 in.
across, 7 in. long, solitary, appearing before the leaves.
Stamens about 600, slender, white. Style simple. Fruit
7 to 10 in. long, velvety-brown. Seeds black, smooth,
i in. diameter, packed in white cotton.
Flowers in December to January.
 L . .11ft 111111
:l ti. TIll' Silk-cClltClIl Tn'!' (Sa/ma/ia ma/abarica) in n weI".

C. McCan"
37. F lowf'I'S of th e Si lk-C'ollon Tree (Salmalia malabarica).
'-
o
 Salmalia] SALMALIA

Fruits January to February.

Distribution.-Travancore Hill, on rocks.
Vernacular names.-Malayalam: Kallilavu, Paryailavu; Tamil:
Kattilavu, Paryayilavu.
SALMALlA ANCEPS (Pierre) Stearn.
Syn. Bombax anceps Pierre, Fl. Forest. Cochinchine, t. 175 (r888)-
Gossampinus anceps (Pierre) Bakhuizen in Bull. Jardin Bot.
Buitenzorg, III, 6, 190 (1924)'
A lofty tree, reaching a height of roo ft. and a girth
of about 16 ft. Bark greyish, more or less prickly when
young. Leaflets 5 to 7. Petals red or white, 3 in. long,
slightly hairy on both faces. Stamens about 350, tube
formed by the stamens t in. long. Style hairless. Fruit
a capsule, woody, dark brown, 31 to 4 in. long with
5 very prominent rounded ridges.
Distribution.- Burma (Pegu and Arakan Yoma, Upper
Burma, North Shan States, Salween), Cochin China.
Vernacular names.- Burma: Didok, Didu-pya; Karen: Kowa;
Pegu : Didu)etpan, Kokye.

B. BOMBAcAcEAE
They are all arborescent, and principally tropical;
and they include some of the largest trees in the vegetable
kingdom. One of the most striking is the African Baobab,
Adamsonia digitata Linn., grown in many parts of India ~
it is remarkable for the excessive thickness of its trunk
as compared with its height. The family takes its name
from the genus Bombax, the name of which is derived
from the Greek {30fJ.{3ug [bombux] "silkworm," hence" a
silken garment," referring to the silky hairs of the fruit.
 THE ASOKA TREE
SARACA INDICA Lin7laeus, Mantissa, I, 98 ( 1767) ; Hooker r., Fl.
Brit. India, 2, 271 (1878).

The origin of the name Saraca is obscure, but is

apparently derived from an Asiatic vernacular name,
possibly a corruption of the name Asoka commonly
applied to this tree in India.

Description.-A small evergreen tree with an erect trunk

covered with smooth dark brown or greyish-brown bark.
Its branches, spreading in every direction, form an elegant
close-leaved crown. The leaves grow alternately on the
branches. The leaf is about a foot in length. The
mid-rib is smooth and round and carries 4 to 6 pairs of
'3 0
 P LATE XXV II

ASOKA TREE

Saraca indica
Saraca] ASOKA TREE

leaflets without a terminal leaflet at the apex. The

leaflets are smooth and glossy, firm in texture with slightly
waved margins. The tree is interesting as furnishing an
example of drooping young leaves without chlorophyll,
like those of certain other evergreen trees, for example,
Amherstia nobilis, Mesua jerrea, Mangifera indica, Polyalthia
and others. The young leaves are red in colour, thin
and flaccid, and hang vertically downwards for some time
after attaining full size. The flowers appear in large
compact clusters which spring direct from the heavy

branches or from the slender terminal twigs. On opening,

the flowers are a bright orange and later turn red, giving
each cluster a richly variegated tone. In full bloom
the Asoka is beautiful, its orange and scarlet clusters of
flowers contrasting richly with the dark branches and
deep green foliage. The flower has a small red leafy
bract at the base of the stalk, while at the tip of the stalk
are 2 small heart-shaped leaves (bracteoles) forming a
false calyx. The true calyx is situated at the top of the long
tapering receptacular tube (hypenthium) and has 4 oval
sepals, which look like petals. A fleshy annular ring on
the summit of the tube bears 4 to 7 spreading thread-
like stamens, crowned with small kidney-shaped anthers.
The style is nearly as long as the stamens. The pod,
fleshy red when unripe, is 6 to 10 in. long. It is scimitar-
shaped and contains 4 to 8 smooth grey seeds the size
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Sarac61

of a chestnut. This leguminous pod p~oclaims its kinship

to Tamarindus and other members of the family Caesal-
piniaceae, among which Hardwickia also lacks petals, while
Intsia has only one petal instead of the usual five petals.
Flowers.-January to April or May.
Distribution.-Found wild along streams or in the
shade of the evergreen forests in the Khasia Hills, Chitta-
gong, Arakan, Tenasserim, Upper Burma, the northern
Circars, and the west coast of Bombay, Ceylon, Malaya.
Economic value.- The wood is light reddish-brown, soft ;
heartwood hard and dark-coloured; weight 50 lb. per
cubic foot. In the northern parts of Ceylon the timber
is used for common house-building purposes.
Medicinal properties and uses.-The bark is much used
by native physicians in uterine affections, and especially
in menorrhagia. A decoction of the bark in milk is
generally prescribed. A ghrita called asoka ghrita is also
prepared with a decoction of the bark and clarified
butter together with a number of aromatic herbs in the
form of a paste. In Orissa the bark is said to be .used as
an astringent in cases of internal hc:emorrhoids.
The flowers, pounded and mixed with water, are used
in hc:emorrhagic dysentery.
Popular beliefs.-The Asoka is one of the sacred trees
of the Hindus which they are ordered in the Urapaj to
worship on the 13th day of the month Chaitra, i.e.
27th December. Its flowers, probably on account of
their beauty and the delicacy of their perfume, which in
the months of April and May is exhaled throughout the
night, are much used in temple decoration. "The tree
is the Symbol of Love, and is dedicated to Kama, the
Indian God of Love. Like the Agnus castus it is believed
to have a certain charm in preserving chastity; thus
Sita, the wife of Rama, when abducted by Ravana,
escapes from the caresses of the demon and finds refuge
in a grove of Asokas. In the legend of Buddha, when
Maya is conscious of having conceived the Buddisattva,
she retires to a wood of Asoka trees and then sends for
ber husband." The word Asoka signifies "that which
is deprived of grief" (Folkard, Plant-lore and Legends).
Saraca] ASOKA TREE 133
Mason (Burma and its People) says the tree is held sacred
among the Burmans because under it Gautama Buddha
was born and immediately after his birth delivered his
first address.
According to Sanskrit poetry, its nature is so sensitive
that it bursts into blossom and blushes crimson if touched
by the hand of a lovely woman.
Vernacular names. -Bengal : Asok, Asoka; Bombay : Ashok, Asok, Asoka ,
Jasundi; Burma: Thawgabo, Thawka ; Canarese: Achenga, Akshath,
Ashanke, Ashoka, Ashuge, Asoka, Kenkali, Kusge; Cuttack: Aseka,
Ati; English: Asoka Tree; Gujerati: Ashopalava; Hindi: Ashok,
Asok; Kolami: Husangidba, Usangidba; Konkani : Assoc ;
Malayalam: Asoka, Hemapushpam, Vanjulam; Manipur: Asoka;
Marathi: Ashoka, Jasundi; Mundari: Husanggidhadaru; North-
Western Provinces: Asok ; PunJab: Asok; Sanskrit : Ashoka, Kankali,
Kankelli, Vanjula, Vanjuldruma, Vishoka, Vitashoka; Sinhalese:
Diyaratmal, Diyeratembela; Tamil: Asogam, Asogu, Anagam,
Malaikkarunai, Sasubam; Telugu: Asokamu, Vanjulamu; Ur~va:
Osoko.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Common Saraca.
 THE LARGE-FLOWERED NIGHTSHADE
OR POTATO TREE
SOLANUM GRANDIFLORUM Ruiz & Pavon, Fl. Peruv. 2, 34, t. 168 (1799) ;
Bitter in Fedde, Repert. Beih. :16, 180 (1923).
Syn. SoLanum Wrightii Bentham, Fl. Hongkong, 243 (1861).
This tree has long been known in Bombay as Solanum
macranthum, the epithet "large-flowered" from Greek
p.alCpo~ [makros], " long, large," atleo~ [anthos], " flower,"
being very appropriate, but examination at Kew by
Mr C. E. C. Fischer of specimens sent from Bombay

showed it was incorrectly identified and that it belonged

to Solanum Wrightii Benth. This commemorates Charles
Wright (1811-1885), U.S. naturalist who collected in
Hong Kong in 1854 and 1855. The plant is, however,
not a native of Hong Kong but a South American species
long cultivated in the East and often called S. macranthum.
The confusion between the two was pointed out by
PLATE XXVlll

'" LARUE-FLOWERED N IGHT SHADE OR POTATO TREE

Solanum grandijlorwn
Solanum] POTATO TREE 135

Hemsley in Card. ehron., iii, 7, 75 (Jan. 18go). They

belong to the family Solanaceae, of which the Potato is the
best known representative but which also includes Tobacco
(Nicotiana) and Tomato (Lycopersicon). The name SOlanum,
originally applied to the Black Nightshade (S. nigrum), is
presumed to be from the Latin solatium, " comfort, relief,
solace," because of narcotic properties. According to
Georg Bitter, S. Wrightii is conspecific with S. grandijlorum
and the earlier name has accordingly been adopted here
on his authority.
Description.- A shrub or small tree occasionally reach-
ing a height of 30 to 40 ft. with yellowish-brown straight
prickles. Leaves large, 10 to 15 in. long, sometimes
narrowing at the base forming a winged leaf-stalk. The
leaf is slightly heart-shaped, egg-shaped, lance-shaped,
or elliptically lance-shaped, with deeply cut angles or
lobes. It is paler beneath, covered with fine star-like
hairs. The young leaves and shoots are densely covered
with the sam covering. The leaves on the under surface
are strongly armed with long prickles arranged at intervals
along the nerves. The flowers are arranged in simple
or branched bunches 3 to 5 in. long, from 7 to 12 in
number. The corolla is bluish-violet, It to 2t in. in
diameter; the lobes are sharply pointed. The anthers
are large and yellow. The fruit is almost rounded, the
size of a golf ball.
Distribution.- The Large-flowered Nightshade or Potato
Tree is a native of South America (Bolivia, Peru).
Cardening.- This plant is widely cultivated in gardens
for its large showy flowers and beautiful leaves ; it flowers
all the year round. It is easily propagated from seed
or cuttings and thrives best in sheltered and partially
shaded situations, up to 3000 ft. or higher if not exposed
to strong winds. It was first introduced into Ceylon in
1844.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Potato Tree Nightshade.
 THE SCARLET-BELL OR FOUNTAIN TREE
SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA Palisot de Beauvois, FJ. d'Oware et de Benin,
1,47, tt. 27-28 (1805).
The generic name Spathodea is derived from the Greek
(T7rael][spathe], "blade, flower-sheath, "-WOIJ~ [-odes],
" of the nature of, like," in allusion to the spathe-like
calyx. The epithet campanulata describes the bell-shaped
corolla. Spathodeas, of which there are two or three
species, are handsome evergreen trees with large pinnate
leaves, and very showy orange-red or scarlet flowers. They
belong to the Bignoniaceae.

Description.-This is one of the most glorious trees in

Bombay gardens. Tall and erect, it grows to a height of
70 ft. Although a large tree in Bombay, it attains finer
proportions in Bangalore, where' it has not to contend
against the high winds which prevail in Bombay during
the monsoon. In the drier areas the tree is deciduous
for a few weeks during the hot weather, but in the humid
climate of the west coast it remains evergreen.
 l'LATE XXIX

SCARLET-BELL TREE

Spathodea campanulata
 +2. A S ark t-bdl TnT (Sjll/thor/,'a (a llljl{/1/111ala ) a t Singapore .

43. ,\ noweri ng i>ra nclJ or th c Scarlet-bell Tre (Spathodra campanulata).

Spathodea] SCARLET-BELL TREE 137

The tree has a large compound leaf, which is odd-

pinnate. The leaflets or pinnae grow opposite each other
along the main axis, which ends in a terminal pinna.
There are from 9 to 19 smooth, oval, abruptly pointed
leaflets. They have very short stalks and bear from
2 to 3 fleshy glands at the base. The shoots are velvety,
the young leaves somewhat hairy beneath. During the
cold weather the velvety olive-green buds appear in huge
c]usters at the tips of branches. They are close packed,
curved over one another and form a compact globular
mass which expands into a great panicle of lovely erect
blooms, crowning the tree with a blaze of orange and
crimson. Its vivid beauty compels attention. From its
curving, boat-shaped calyx the corolla emerges as a short
tube which abruptly expands into a wide bell some
4 in. long. The lobes of its petals are oval in shape and
somewhat wavy. Externally the flower is orange at the
base, deepening rapidly into brilliant crimson. It is
edged with a fine yellow margin. Within, it is a rich
yellow cup heavily streaked with red. The 4 yellow,
protruding stamens are capped with pendant brown
anthers. At the base of the style is the oblong papillose
ovary containing ovules packed in several rows.
The fruit is a smooth, woody, oblong, lance-shaped
capsule, pointed at both ends. The seeds are elliptic,
broadly winged . The trees do not often produce seed in
Bombay and very rarely do so in Ceylon.
Flowering season.- In Ceylon the trees flower through-
out the wet season. In Bombay chiefly during the cold
weather, particularly in February and March, some
individual~ during the rains in September and October.
In Angola the trees flower from September to the end
of May, and fruit in June and July.
Distribution.-The Scarlet-Bell Tree is a native of
tropical Africa. It was introduced into Ceylon in 1873.
There seems to be no record of when it was introduced
into India.
In Africa it is widely spread from Sierra Leone to the
Congo and Angola, extending to Uganda.
Gardening.-For scenic planting in extensive grounds
s
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Spatlzodea

this is one of the finest trees in the country. Clusters of

these trees make the expansive lawns of the Willingdofl
Sports Club, Bombay, radiant during the cold weather.
The tree thrives well up to an altitude of 4000 ft. and is
suited to districts where the rainfall is not too great. It
can easily be propagated from root suckers which appear
freely round the base of the tree, or from cuttings; it
may also be raised from seed. It demands rich and well-
drained soil with sufficient moisture during the growing
period. .
Uses.-The tree is useful for shade and makes a splendid
avenue; it is a fine decorative tree.
The liquor obtained by boiling the centre of the fruits
when they are hard is poisonous and used by native
hunters to procure meat.
The tree is such a poor firewood that the fact has been
recorded in the form of an Ashanti proverb.
The two sides of blacksmiths' bellows are made from
this tree.
The wood is white and very soft, its density 0 '363. It
is suitable for carpentry work and has been suggested
for use in paper making. A specimen of the wood in the
Kew Museum, grown in Madras, weighs 40 lb. per cubic
foot. The softness of the wood is proverbial on the Gold
Coast, where its name is used to designate weak people.
The buds are popularly used by the native boys as.
water-squirts.
Vernacular names.- The terms " Squirt" and" Fountain Tree " in
English, "Nirukayi" in Canarese, "Korkornsu " in Ashanti~
" Adatsigo " in Ewe, refer to the liquid contents of the buds.
Accra: Osisirin, Seseru; Angola: Sambi-sambi ; Aslzanti ~
Korkoranidua, Kokornsu, Osisiriro; Baganda: Kifabakasi; Benin:
Okwokwi; Canarese: Nirukayi; Congo: Mombata; English :
African Tulip Tree, Fountain Tree, Scarlet-bell Tree, Squirt Tree,
Tulip Tree; Ewe: Adatsigo; French: Tulipier du Gabon; CoM
Coast: Odoumanki; Colungo Alto: Andenandua, Mangelandua,
Mutenandua, Mutenguenandua, Ndemand; Ivory Coast: Gouro~
Kokomayur, Nkokion; Krobo: Votso; Lagos: Oruru; Lakolela:
Mombata; Mbonoi: Kokomayur; Sierra Leone: Tchioge; Telugu:
Patade, Patadiya; T wi: Osisiriw; Uganda: Kifabakasi; Toruba ~
Oruru.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.-Bell Flambeau Tree.
PLATE XXX

WAVY-LEAVED TECOMELLA

Tecomella undulata
 THE WAVY-LEAVED TECOMELLA
TECOMELLA UNDULATA (Smith) Seemann in Ann. Mag. Nat. Rist.
III, 10,30 (J862),]ournal of Botany, 1,18 (1863).
Syn. Bignonia undulata Smith, Exotic Bot. I, 35 (I805)-Teco1n4
undulata (Smith) G. Don, General Syst. 4, 223 (J 838) j Hooker r.,
Fl. Brit. India, 4,378 (1884).
This belongs to the family Bignoniaceae. Tecomella is a
diminutive of the generic name Tecoma, itself derived
from the Mexican name of a plant: Tecomaxochitl
(lecomatl = vessel; xochitl = flower ).
Description.- A large shrub or small tree with drooping
branches and greyish-green foliage. Leaves 2 to 5 by
i to It in., narrowly oblong, blunt at the apex and with
wavy margins, covered with minute hairs and slightly
rough; leaf-stalk I in. long. Flowers large, from pale
yelJow to deep orange, inodorous, in smaller or larger
5 to 10 flowered bunches at the ends of the smaller lateral
branches; stalks i to i in. long; calyx cup-shaped with 5
almost equally rounded lobes, veined. Stamens 4;
filaments smooth. Stigma divided into two lobes. Fruit
8 in. long by i in. broad, slightly curved, parallel-sided,
smooth and sharply pointed at the tip. Seed winged
I by i in. (including the wing) ; wing thin, very narrow,
rounded at the top and absent at the base of the seed.
Distribution.-India, Western Peninsula, Punjab, Raj-
putana, Baluchistan; Arabia.
Gardening.-A very handsome tree when in full bloom
and really worthy of cultivation. It is easily propagated
from seed or cuttings (Troup). It is not uncommon in
the drier tracts of India, flowering between February and
April.
Economic value.-The plant is said to yield a gum.
In Las Bela the bark is used for tanning skins.
The foliage is greedily browsed by cattle; the leaves
are used as a fodder for goats in Las Bela. The wood is
strong, tough and durable; it takes a fine polish, and is
'39
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Tecomella

highly prized for furniture (Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod.). The

wood is yellowish-brown, mottled, handsome, highly
prized for furniture, carving and agricultural implements
(Brandis). It is drought-hardy and very resistant to fire.
It would be a useful species for afforesting dry tracts
(Troup). At Wad in Kalat it is used for making basins.
Popular names.- Baluclzistan : Parpuk, Rori; Bolan: Parpuk ;
Bombay: Lohero, Lohuri, Rakhtreora, Roira, Rugtrora j Bralzui :
Parpuk; Hindi: Rugtrora; Jodhpur: Rohera; Las Bela: Lahiru ;
Marathi: Rakhtreora, Rakhtroda, Raktarohida; Mashudi: Ribdunh;
Menvara : Rohera, Roira ; Punjab: Lahura, Luar, Regdan, Reodhan,
Rohira, Roir; Pushtu: Raidawan, Rebdan, Rebdun, Regdewan,
Reodan; Sanskrit: Chalachhada, Kutashalmali; Sind: Khen,
Khew, Lahero, Lohera, Lohira, Lohuri j Wad ; Parpuk; Waziri :
Ribdhvan.
 THE BHENDI TREE
THESPESIA POPULNEA (L.) Solander ex Correa in Ann. Mus. Rist.
Nat. Paris, 9, 290 (1807); Hooker f., FI. Brit. India, I , 345
(1874) ; Baker f. in Journal of Botany, 35,5 1 (1897).
Syn. Hibiscus populneus Linnaeus, Sp. PI. I, 694 (I 753 )-Bupariti
populnea (L.) Rothmaler in Fedde, Repert. 53,6 (1944).
The generic name is from the Greek (:)€CT'7T'€CT'LO,
[thespesios] "divinely decreed," hence "marvellous,
oracular"; it refers to Th. populnea being regarded as a
sacred plant in Tahiti at the time of Captain J ames Cook's
visit in 1769 and being grown around places used for
worship. The epithet populnea "of poplars" indicates
the resemblance of the Bhendi's leaves to those of a
poplar (Populus).

Description.- The tree reaches a height of 30 to 50 ft.

Its smooth grey trunk is tall and straight. Its numerous
branches form a heavy spreading crown of close-set
foliage. The broad, heart-shaped leaves grow alternately
about the ends of the branches. A single leaf is from
3 to 6 in. long. It has a fine tapering point, much lik
the leaf of our Pepul or of the Poplar. It is smooth, has
a close network of fine veins and from 5 to 7 prominent
I.'
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [ThespeJia

veins which radiate outwards from the base of the mid-rib.

One or, at times, both sides of the leaf bear a few minute,
ash-coloured scales, each carrying a dark central spot.
The Bhendi is evergreen; its change of leaf is gradual
but is particularly marked in February, when many of
the old leaves turn bright yellow and at a distance give
the tree an appearance of being in bloom. The flowers
are 3 to 4 in. across. They grow singly or in pairs. The
pale lemon-yellow blooms with a deep maroon centre
are very beautiful. When withering they fade gradually
from salmon pink to a dull purple. The petals are finely
crinkled and are set in a cup-like calyx. The long style

grows through a tube, decked with a cluster of golden-

headed stamens. It is crowned with a club formed of
five close-set stigmas. The globular turban-shaped fruit
is cupped at its base in the calyx which persists after the
petals have fallen. It contains 5 cells, each packed with
from I to 3 down-covered egg-shaped seeds. The fruits
are green at first but turn brown and then black with
age. They remain for a long time on the tree. The
flower and fruit have the aspect of the Hibiscus, in which
genus of plants the Bhendi was formerly included, but
the close-set stigmas, woody character of the fruit and
flat egg-shaped seeds are characteristic of Thespesia.
Flowering season.-The tree flowers throughout the year
but particularly at the beginning of the cold season.
Distribution.-I t grows wild along the beach and tidal
forests of our west coast from the Konkan southwards,
on the coasts of Chittagong and the Andamans. It is
widespread on the tropical shores of Asia, Africa and
Oceania.
Gardening.-The Bhendi is a common roadside tree
 PLATE XXXI

BRENDI TREE

ThespeJia jJOjJUlnca
.Ill. fl{)\\'('f's oj' tilt' I.II1<'ncii Trt'e' ( Thf.l/Jt'sill flojJUlllea).

47. The Bhendi Tre ' (Thcs/lcsin poplllnea).

 Thtspesia] BHENDI TREE 143

on the Bombay side of India. It prefers a light porous

soil and is easily raised from seed or cuttings and grows
quickly. When grown from cuttings, as most trees appear
to be, they are crooked and distorted but the handsome
heart-shaped leaves and large tulip-like flowers make this
tree very noticeable.
Economic value.-The tree is valued for its tough, fine-
grained timber which is used for the manufacture of
gun-stocks, cartwheels and, because of its resistance to
water, in boat-building. The bark yields a fine tough
fibre which appears to be rarely employed in India except
in the rough state for tying bundles of wood; it is used
in Burma for cordage, and in Demerara for making
coffee bags.
Both the bark and the heartwood contain tannin
and a fine red colouring matter. The flowers and fruits
yield a yellow dye not unlike gamboge; on the Gold Coast
it is sometimes smeared on the skin or used as a paint by
children.
The leaves are used for wrapping food.
The seeds yield a deep, red-coloured and somewhat
thick oil, known as " huile amere."
Medicinal properties and uses.- The viscid, yellow juice
in which the fruit abounds is also used as an external
application in scabies and other cutaneous diseases.
Experiment has however shown that in most instances it
produces little or no benefit. The leaves are applied
as poultices to swellings, sores and abscesses. A decoction
of the bark is used as a wash for skin diseases and is given
internally as an alternative. The root is taken as a tonic.
The deep red heartwood is spoken of as a remedy
in heart attacks and in a kind of pleurodynia which is
prevalent among the Malays.

Vernacular names.- Ahanta: Tamsi; Bengal: Dumbla, Gajashundi,

Palaspipal, Parash, Pares, Paresh, Parespipal, Porash, Prash;
Bombay: Bhendi, Bhindi, Palaspiplo, Parsipu; Bouuainville Straits:
Kaikaia ; Canarese: Arasi, Ash a, Bangali, Bugari, Gandarali,
Hurvashi, Huvarasi, Jogiyarale, Kandasola; Central Provinces:
Ranbhendi; Ceylon: Karavachu, Suriyagas; Cuba: M~agua de
Florida; Deccan: Par~pippal, Paris; English: Bhendi Tree,
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES [Thespesia
Portia Tree, Tulip Tree, Umbrella Tree; Ewe: Borborsenya;
Fanti: Adormba, Frefi; Fiji: Mulo; French: Porcher; Ga:
Adengkra, Fairtsho, Foz; Gilbert Islands: Bengibeng; Guam:
Kilulu, Quilulu; Gujerati: Bendi, Bhindi, Parasapiplo; Hawaii:
Milo; Hindi: Bhendi, Gajadanda, Gajhand, Parashajhad, Paraspipal,
Parispipul, Parsipu, Pipal, Pippul, Porush; Honduras: Cork Tree;
Hova: Valo; Indo-China: Chrey sramol, Tra bo de, Tra bua, Tra
lam vo; Konkani: Benddy, Maner; La Reunion: Porcher; Malay:
Baru, Buah keras laut; Malayalam: Chandamaram, Chilanti,
Kallal, Pupparutti, Puvarasu, Puvvarasha; .Marathi: Bendi, Bhenda,
Bhendi, Paraspipar, Parsachajhada, Ranbhendi; New Caledonia:
Bois de rose, Daleni, Kabaoui; Nzima: Eijan; Ponape: Pana,
Pena, Pona; Porebunder: Paraspiplo; Porto Rico: Palo de jagueca ;
Portuguese: Pau rosa, Pau de rosa ; Punjab: Paharipipal, Paraspipal ;
Rarotonga: Miro; Sakalave : Valomena; Samoa: Milo; Sanskrit:
Gardabbanda, Kamandalu, Kandarala, Kapichuta, Kapitana, Kub-
eraksha, Kundah, Nandi, Parisha, Phalisha, Suparshvaka; Sinhalese:
Gansurigaha, Suriya, Suriyagaha; Sunderbunds: Dumbla; Tagalog:
Baboigubat, Babuy, Banalo, Boboigubat, Bubuygubat, Malasantol,
Malibago; Tahiti: Milo; Tamil: Kallal, Piram, Pupparutti,
Puvarasu; Telugu: Gangaravi, Gangareni, Munigangaravi; Tonga:
Milo; Tuiu: Jogi, Jogiyattasa' Twi: Ayedru, Benorsenya;
Uriya: Gunjausto, Habali, Porosopippoli; Visayan: Bulacan;
rap: Bonabeng.
Standardised plant name, U.S.A.- Portia Tree.

MALVACEAE
The Mallow family is more especially tropical,
its members diminishing rapidly as they recede from the
Equator; they are more numerous in the northern tropics
and in America than in the Old World. Among orna-
mental trees may be mentioned Thespesia and Kydia.
 APPENDICES
DESCRIPTIONS OF FAMILIES REPRESENTED
THE following list of the botanical families (formerly known as natural
orders) to which the genera represented in the preceding pages
belong shows their arrangement and characters as set forth in J.
Hutchinson's Families oj Flowering Plants, Dicotyledons (1926), his
numbering being retained. Families with numbers close together
are likely to be more closely akin than those with numbers far apart.
Names of families usually end in -aceae and those of orders in -ales.
C< B.H." below refers to Bentham and Hooker, Genera Plantarum,
(1862-83): "E.P." to Engler and PrantI, Die naturliclten PJlanzen-
familien (188 7-1914). Under each family are listed the wild or culti-
vated tree-producing genera by which it is represented in the
subcontinent of India (z.e. political India and Pakistan considered
together).

10. CAPPARIDALES
36. CAPPAlUDACEAE: Herbs, shrubs or trees, sometimes scandent ;
leaves alternate or rarely opposite, simple or digitately 3-7-foliolate ;
stipules when present minute or spiny; flowers mostly herma-
phrodite, actinomorphic or rarely zygomorphic, hypogynous, axillary
or terminal, variously arranged; sepals free or partially united,
imbricate or valvate, usually 4; petals 4 to many or absent; torus
elongated or short, rarely with an appendix; stamens few to many,
sometimes some of them without anthers; filaments sometimes
partially adnate to the torus; anthers 2-celled, longitudinally
dehiscent ; ovary sessile or more usually supported on a long or short
gynophore, I-celled with parietal placentas or divided into 2 or more
cells by spurious dissepiments; ovules few to many; fruit a capsule
or a berry, sometimes the latter elongate or torulose; seeds usually
reniform or angular; endosperm none or scanty; embryo arcuate or
incurved. B.B. I: 103 (1862) ; E.P. 3,2: 209 (18g!). Tropics mainly.
- CRATAEVA (p. 47); other arborescent genera in India, Capparis,
Niebuhria.

20. GERANIALES
66. ZYOOPHYLLACEAE: Shrubs or herbs woody at the base,
rarely trees; branches often jointed at the nodes; leaves opposite
or alternate, 2-foliolate or pinnate, rarely 3-foljolate, not gland-dotted;
stipules paired, persistent, often spinescent; flowers rarely blue,
hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or zygomorphic' ; sepals 5, rarely 4,
'45 T
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES

free or rarely connate at the base, imbricate, rarely valvate; petals

4-5, rarely absent, hypogynous, free, imbricate or contorted, rarely
valvate; disk mostly presetzt; stamens the same number as to triple
the number of the petals, often unequal in length; filaments free,
often with a scale inside; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise; ovary
superior, sessile or rarely stipitate, usually 4-5-celled, cells rarely
transversely locellate ; style simple, short, or stigmas sessile; ovules
2 or more in each cell, axile; fruit various but never baccate; seeds
mostly with some endosperm; embryo as long as the seed, straight
or slightly curved. B.H. I: 262 (1862); E.P. 3, 4; 74 (r8go).
Mainly tropical and subtropical regions, often in dry desert places.
-GUAIACUM (p. go).

21. LYTHRALES
72. LYTHRACEAE: Herbs, shrubs or trees; leaves opposite or
verticillate, rarely alternate; stipules absent or very small; flowers
usually actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, solitary to paniculate; sepals
united into a tube, valvate, often with appendages between the lobes;
petals present or absent, inserted towards the top of the calyx-tube,
crumpled in bud ; stamens usually 4 or 8, rarely more, inserted below
the petals ; filaments variable in length, usually iriflexed in bud; anthers
2-celled, opening lengthwise; ovary superior, sessile or shortly
stipitate, completely or incompletely 2-6-celled (rarely r-celled);
style simple, variable in length; ovules numerous on an axile placenta
sometimes not reaching the top of the ovary ; fruit usually capsular,
opening by a transverse slit, by valves, or irregularly; seeds numerous,
without endosperm; e.m bryo straight. B.H . 1: 773 (1867); E.P.
3, 7: r (r8g2). Widely spread.- LAGERSTROEM1A (p. 100); other
arborescent genus in India, Lawsonia.

24. DILLENIALES
85. DILLENIACEAE: Trees, shrubs or twiners, rarely undershruus
or herbs with radical leaves; leaves alternate, entire or dentate,
rarely pinnatifid or trilobed, usually with numerous prominent
parallel lateral nerves; stipules absent or winglike and adnate to the
petiole, mostly deciduous; flowers small to medium-sized, rarely
large, hermaphrodite or male and female separate; sepals 5, much
imbricate, persistent; petals 5 or fewer, imbricate, often crumpled in
bud, deciduous; stamens numerous, rarely definite, hypogynous, free
or variously united into bundles at the base, usually persistent; anthers
with lateral or introrse cells, opening lengthwise or by apical pores;
carpels free, rarely one; ovules 1 or more, erect from the base or
from the inner angle of the carpel; styles free; carpels dehiscent or
baccate; seeds mostly with a crested or laciniate sril; endosperm copious,
fleshy; embryo minute. RH. 1: 10 (1862) ; E.P. 3, 6: roo (I893).
Mostly tropical and subtropical regions.- DILLENIA (p. 60).
 BOTANICAL FAMILIES 147

27. BIXALES
92. COCHLOSPERMACEAE: Trees, shrubs or rhizomatous sub-
shrubs with coloured juice; leaves alternate, palmatilobed, stipulate;
flowers hermaphrodite, showy, paniculate or racemose; sepals 5,
imbricate, deciduous; petals 5, imbricate or subcontorted; stamens
numerous, the filaments free, equal or some longer than others;
anthers 2-celled, linear, opening by terminal short, often confluent,
pore-like slits; ovary I-celled with parietal placentas projecting into the
cell, or perfectly 3-celled; ovules numerous; style simple with
minutely denticulate stigma; fruit a 3-5-valved capsule; seeds
glabrous or covered with woolly hairs, straight or cochleate-reniform ;
endosperm copious; embryo conforming to the shape of the seed,
large; cotyledons broad. B.H. I: 122 (1862) under Bixineae;
E.P. Nachtr. 251 (1897). Tropics.-CocHLosPERMUM (p. 38).

35. TILIALES
130. STERCULIACEAE: Trees or shrubs with mostly soft wood,
or rarely herbs ; indumentum often stellate; leaves alternate or
very rarely subopposite, simple or digitately compound; stipules
usually pres nt; flowers variously arranged, but inflorescence rarely
terminal, hermaphrodite or male and female separate, actinomorphic ;
sepals 3-5, more or less partially united, valvate; petals 5 or absent,
hypogynous, free or adnate at the base to the staminal-tube, contorted-
imbricate; stamens often COMate into a tube with as many staminodes,
sometimes in more than one series, or the stamens quite free; anthers
2-celled, very rarely the cells subconBuent at the apex; ovary free,
of 2-5 or rarely 10-12 more or less united carpels or reduced to one
carpel; ovules 2 or more in each cell, rarely 1, inserted on the
inner angle, ascending or horizontal ; style simple or divided into
lobes or rarely the styles free from the base ; fruit dry or rarely
baccate, indehiscent or variously dehiscent ; seed with fleshy or
thjn or no endosperm; embryo straight or curved. B.H. I: 214
(1862); E.P. 3, 6: (1 890). Mainly tropics and sub tropics. -
FIRMlANA (p. 79), KLEINHOVIA (p. 95); other arborescent
genera in India, Abroma, Eriolaena, GUtl.{.uma, Heritiera, Meloc/lia,
Plerospermum, Pterygota, Sterculia, Theobroma.
131. BOMBACACEAE: Trees with sometimes bulging stems through
excess of water storage; leaves simple or digitate, alternate, often
lepidote; stipules deciduous; flowers hermaphrodite, large and
showy; calyx closed and valvate in bud or rarely deeply 5-lobed
with slightly imbricate lobes, often subtended by an epicalyx; petals
often elongated, sometimes absent; stamens free or united into a tube ;
anthers reniform to linear, I-celled; pollen smooth; ovary superior,
2-5-celled; style simple, capitate, or lobed; ovules 2 or more on
the inner angle of each cell; capsul loculicidally dehiscent or not
dehiscent, the valves rarely falling away; seeds often embedded in
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES
hairs from the wall of the fruit, with little or no endosperm and
flat or contorted or plicate cotyledons. B.H. I: 209 (1 862) under
Malvaceae; E.P. 3, 6: 53 (1890). Tropics.- SALMALIA (p. 122) ;
other arborescent genera in India, Adamsonia, Ceiba.

36. MALVALES
132. MALvAcEAE : Herbs or shrubs, often with fibrous stems;
indumentum usually stellate or lepidote; leaves alternate, entire or
variously lobed, mostly palmately nerved; stipules present; flowers
actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, or rarely dioecious or polygamous;
sepals 3-5, more or less united, valvale, sometimes sub tended by an
involucre of bracteoles (epicalyx) ; petals 5, free from each other, but often
adnate at the base to the staminal-column, contorted or imbricate;
stamens numerous, hypogynous, monadelphous, the staminal-column
divided at the apex and bearing I-celled anthers (by the division of the
filaments), opening lengthwise; pollen muricate; ovary 2- or more-
celled, often 5-celled, rarely of 1 carpel, or rarely the carpels in
vertical rows; style branched above, rarely clavate; ovules 1 or
more from the inner angle at each cell; fruit dry, rarely baccate,
breaking into cocci, or capsular; seed with usually some endosperm
and straight or curved embryo; cotyledons often plicate or con-
tortuplicate. B.H. I: 200 (1862) partly; E.P. 3, 6: 30 (1890).
Throughout the world except very cold regions.-KYDIA (p. 97),
THESPESIA (p. 141 ); other arborescent genus in India, Hibiscus.

41. LEGUMINOSAE
146. CAESALPINlACEAE : Trees, shrubs or rarely herbs; leaves
pinnate or bipinnate, rarely simple or I-foliolate; stipels mostly
absent; flowers mostly showy, racemose, spicate, or rarely cymose,
zygomorphic, rarely sub-actinomorphic; sepals 5 or the 2 upper ones
connate, mostly free, imbricate or rarely valvate; petals 5 or fewer
or absent, the adaxial (upper) one inside, the others variously imbricate;
stamens mostly 10, very rarely numerous, often free or variously
connate; anthers various, sometimes opening by terminal pores;
ovary superior, I-celled; seeds with copious, thin or no endosperm
and large embryo. B.P. I: 562 (1865); E.P. 3, 3: 125 (1892)
under Leguminosae. Mainly tropics.- AMHERSTIA (p. I), BAUHINIA
(p. 4), CASSIA (p. 19), COLVILLEA (p. 42), DELONIX (p. 52), PELTO-
PHORUM (p. 109), SARACA (p. 130) ; other arborescent genera in India,
Acrocarpus, Brownea, Caesalpinia, Cynometra, Haematoxylon, Hardwickia,
Humboldia, Parkinsonia, Schizalobium, Tamarindus.
148. PAPILIONACEAE: Herbs, shrubs or trees; leaves simple or
compound; flowers zygomorphic, mostly hermaphrodite; sepals
usually 5, more or less connate into a tube; petals 5, imbricate,
free, the upper (adaxial) exterior and forming the standard, the two
 BOTANICAL FAMILIES 149
lateral (wings) more or less parallel with each other, the lower two
interior and connate by their lower margins into a keel; stamens
inserted with the petals, often 10, monadelphous or diadelphous,
mostly all perfect; anthers mostly opening lengthwise; fruit usually
dehiscent; seeds without or with very scanty endosperm. RH.
I : 465 (1865) ; E.P. 3, 3: 184 (1892) under Leguminosae. General
distribution.- BUTEA (p. 12), ERYTHRINA (p. 63), GLlRICIDIA (p. 87),
PTEROCARPUS (p. 119); other arborescent genera in India, Brya,
Castanospermum, Dalbergia, Millettia, Mundulea, Ormosia, Ougeinia,
Pongamia, Sesbania.

65. APOCYNALES
230. ApOCYNACEAE: Trees, shrubs or climbers, rarely perennial
herbs ; leaves opposite or verticillate, rarely alternate, simple, entire;
stipules absmt; flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic; calyx often
glandular inside; lobes 5 or rarely 4, imbricate; corolla tubular, variously
shaped; lobes contorted-imbricate, very rarely valvate; stamens 5
or rarely 4, inserted in the tube; filaments free or rarely united;
anthers often sagittate, free or connivent around the stigma, rarely
adherent to the latter, 2-celled, opening lengthwise, connective often
produced at the apex; pollen granular; disk usually present, annular,
cupular or of separate glands; ovary superior, I-celled with 2
parietal placentas or 2- elled with the placentas adnate to the septa,
or carpels 2 and free or connate only at the base with ventral placentas
in each carpel; style J, split at the base or entire, thickened and
stigmatose below the apex ; ovules 2 or more in each carpel; fruit
entire and indehiscent or of 2 separate carpels, baccate, drupaceous
or follicular; seeds mostly with endosperm and large straight embryo,
often winged or append aged with long silky hairs. RH. z: 681
(1876); E.P. 4, 2 : 109 (1895 ). Mainly tropics and subtropics.-
PLUMERlA (p. 112); other arborescent genera in India, Alstonia,
Cerbera, Ervatamia, HOMrrhena, Thevetia, Wrightia.

66. RUBIALES
232. RUBlACEAE: Trees, shrubs or more rarely herbs; leaves opposite
or verticillate, entire or rarely toothed, simple; stipules often inter-
or intra-petiolar, free or connate, sometimes leqfy and indistinguishable
from the leaves ; flowers mostly hermaphrodite, very rarely slightly
zygomorphic, solitary to capitate; calyx adnate to the ovary;
corolla epigynous, more or less tubular; lobes 4-10, contorted,
imbricate or valvate; stamens as many as corolla-lobes and alternate
with them, inserted in the tube or at its mouth; anthers mostly free,
2-celled, opening lengthwise; ovary iriferior, 2- or more-celled with
axile, apical or basal placentation, rarely I-celled with parietal
placentas; style often slender, variously lobed; ovules I to many;
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES

fruit a capsule, berry or drupe; seeds rarely winged, mostly with

endosperm; embryo straight or curved. B.H.:a: 7 (1873); E.P.
4, 4: I (18gl). Generally distributed, but mostly tropical.-
GARDENIA (p. 83) ; other arborescent genera in India, Adina,
Anthocephalus, Canthium, Cephalanthus, Cinchona, Diplospora, Hymenodictyon,
/xora, Alorinda, Octotropis, Randia, Stephegylle, Webera, Wendlalldia.

73. BORAGINALES
249. BORAGfNACEAE: Herbs, shrubs or trees, glabrous or often
scabrid or hispid; leaves alternate or very rarely opposite, simple;
stipules absent; flowers often in scorpioid cymes, actinomorphic or
rarely oblique, mostly hermaphrodite; calyx-lobes imbricate or
rarely valvate; corolla with contorted or imbricate lobes; stamens
the same number as the corolla-lobes and alternate with them,
inserted on the corolla; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise; disk
present or obsolete; ovary superior, 2-celled or 4-celled by spurious
septa, entire or deeply 4-lobed; style terminal or from the middle of
the lobes (gynobasic) ; ovules paired, erect or spreading from the central
axis; fruit a drupe or of 4 nutlets; seeds with or without endosperm,
and straight or curved embryo. B.H. z: 832 (1876); E.P. 4, 3a:
7 J (1893). Widely dispersed, numerous in the Mediterranean region.
- CORDIA (p. 44) ; other arborescent genus in India, Ehretia.

74. SOLANALES
250. SOLANACEAE: H erbaceous or woody; leaves alternate,
simple; stipules absent; flowers hermaphrodite, mostly actinomorphic ;
calyx 4-6-lobed, persistent; corolla gamopetalous, usually 5-lobed,
lobes folded, contorted or valvate; stamens inserted on the corolla-
tube and alternate with its lobes ; anthers 2-cel1ed, cells parallel,
opening lengthwise or by apical pores; ovary 2-celled, the cells some-
times again divided by a false septum; style terminal; ovules very
numerous, axile; fruit a capsule or berry; seeds with copious endo-
sperm and curved or annular embryo. B.H. z: 882 (1876); E.P.
4, 3b: 4 (1 8g I). Generally distributed in temperate and tropical
regions.-SoLANUM (p. 134).

75. PERSONALES
257. BI0NONIACEAE: Trees or shrubs, sometimes scandent, very
rarely herbs; leaves opposite, rarely alternate, mostly compound,
digitate or pinnate, sometimes the terminal leaflet tendril-like;
stipules absent; flowers often showy, hermaphrodite, more or less
zygomorphic; calyx campanulate, closed or open in bud, truncate or
5-toothed; corolla with 5 imbricate lobes sometimes forming 2 lips,
the upper of 2, the lower of 3 lobes; stamens alternate with the
corolla-lobes, only 4 or 2 perfect; anthers connivent in pairs or rarely
 BOTANICAL FAMILIES
free, a-celled, opening lengthwise; staminode representing the fifth
stamen often short, sometimes absent, often 3 present when only
2 stamens; disk usually present ; ovary superior, 2-celled with 2
placentas in each cell or I -celled with 2 parietal bifid placentas ; style
terminal, 2-lipped; ovules numerous; fruit capsular or fleshy and
indehiscent; seeds often winged, without endosperm; embryo
straight. B.H. a : 1026 (1876); E.P. 4, 3b: 189 (J894). Tropics
and subtropics.-JACARANDA (p. 93), MILLINOTONIA (p. 106),
SPATHODEA (p. 136), TEcoMELLA (p. 139); other arborescent genera
in India, Catalpa, Crescentia, Dolichandrone, Haplophragma, Heterophragma,
Kigelia, Markhamia, Mayodendron, Oroxylum, Pajanelia, Parmentiera,
Radermachera, Stereospermum.
 KEY TO THE GENERA
The following key aims to help in the identification of the genera
represented in this book by giving a series of contrasted statements of
their more important, constant and easily observ d characteristics.
Since these trees attract attention as a rule only when in flower, and
may then be without leaves and fruits, the key is primarily based
on floral characters. The statement in la contrasts with that of Ib ;
za contrasts with zb, and so on.

la. Petals lacking. Calyx brightly coloured, apt to be mistaken for a

corolla.
za. Calyx glabrous: lobes 4, oval, spreading, petal-like. Stamens
4 to 7, free, conspicuously protruding. Leaves pinnate, with 4 to 6
pairs of leaflets. Fruit a pod . . . Saraca (p . 130)
zb. Calyx thickly hairy; lobes 5, short, erect. Stamens joined into a
tube, with about 20 to 30 inconspicuous anthers. Leaves smiple,
broader than long, with 3 to 5 pointed lobes. Fruit on a long stalk
protruding from the persistent calyx and opening long before the
seeds are ripe into 2 to 5 hanging leafy valves. . FirmiaTUl (p. 79)
lb. Petals present, as well as the calyx (which may, however, fall quickly
after the opening of the flower).
3a (for 3b, see p. 155). Petals free and distinct from one another,
not joined together in the lower part.
4l\. Flowers regular (i.e. capable of bisection along two or more
planes into similar halves).
sa. Petals 6 or 7, long-clawed at base. Leaves simple.
Lagerstroemia (p. J 00)
Sb. Petals 5
6a. Petals narrowed into a distinct claw (or stalk) at
base. Leaves compound. See zob below
6b. Petals not distinctly clawed at base.
7a. Flowers small, less than It in. across.
8a. 4 to 6 persistent sepal-like bracts below the
calyx. Petals white. Stamens joined together
in the lower part into a slender erect tube,
then dividing into 5 spreading divisions, each
3-anthered. Leaves very broadly ovate,
cordate. Kydia (p. 97)
8b. No bracts below the calyx.
9a. Flowers in a loose panicle. Petals pink.
Leaves simple, very broadly ovate, often
cordate. Kleinlwvia (p. 95)
9b. Flowers in an umbellate cluster. Petals
blue. Leaves compound, usually with
about 12 leaflets. . Guaiacum (p. 90)
7b. Flowers large, more than It in. across.
 KEY TO GENERA 153
loa. Calyx quickly falling as the flower
opens; sepals 5, distinct. Petals
yellow. Style short; stigma small,
slightly lobed. Leaves deeply lobed.
CochlosjJermum (p. 38)
lob.. Calyx persistent.
lIa. tigma with 5 cohering lobes.
Calyx truncate. Petals yellow,
with a deep red centre, becom-
ing purplish as they age.
Thespesia (p. 141)
I I b. Stigma with 5 to 15 distinct
rays or lobes.
na. Calyx cup-like, splitting
slightly. Stigma with 5
distinct lobes. Leaves
compound, divided into
3 to 9 digitately arranged
leaflets. Salmalia (p. 122)
I2b. Calyx with 5 distinct, much
overlapping sepals. Leaves
simple, elliptic.
Dillenia (p. 60)
4b. Flowers irregular (i.e. divisible into equal halves along one
plane only).
I3a. Petals 4, long-clawed, white or yellowish. Stamens
numerous (about 20). Ovary at the end of a long stalk
(gynophore). Leaves with 3 leaflets. Crataeva (p. 47)
I3b. Petals 5. Stamens not more than 15
14a. Ovary 5-celled. Stamens joined into a tube;
anthers 15. Petals very small (about k in. long),
pink. Leaves broadly ovate, often cordate, simple,
not bilobed. Kleillhovia (p. 95)
14b. Ovary I-celled. Stamens joined or free; anthers
10 or less. Petals more than i in. long. Leaves
compound, with several or many leaflets, or if
simple, then bilobed.
Isa. Upper petal (standard ) outermost. Flowers
constructed on the same plan as those of a
pea or bean. Stamens usually joined and
enclosed within the lower two petals (keel)
which are joined along their lower margin.
16a. Flowers large ; petals to It-2 in . long.
Leaves with 3 leaflets.
J7a. Petals very unequal, the upper petal
(standard) much longer than the
2 side petals (wings) and the 2 lower
petals (keel). Et-ythrina (p. 63)
J7b. Petals almost equal in length, the
upper petal (standard) equalling or
little shorter than the 2 lower petals
(keel). . Bulla (p. 12)
U
154 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES
16b. Flowers small; petals not more than ,~ in.
long. Leaves pinnate with 8 to 13leaRets.
ISa. Ovary with 7-12 ovules. Leaflets
opposite one another, i.e. in pairs
along the main .leaf stalk (rhachis).
Pod long, slender, many-seeded, not
winged. Gliricidia (p. 87)
ISb. Ovary with 2-6 ovules. Leaflets not
opposite but alternating along the
two sides of the main leaf stalk
(rhachis). Pod disc-like, with one
or two seeds surrounded by a broad
wing. . Pterocar/Jus (p. 119)
ISb. Upper petal innermost. tarnens conspicu-
ously protruding. Flower usually rather open.
Lower petals free, not forming a keel.
19a. Two large red conspicuous bracts on the
pedicel a little below the flower. Stamens
10, one free, the others fused by their
filaments with 5 anthers on long stalks
alternating with 4 anthers almost sessile.
Leaves pinnate with 6 to 8 pairs of
leaflets; no terminal leaflet.
Amherstia (p. I)
19b. No large bracts below the flower.
Stamens all free, not markedly unequal.
zoa. Leaves with one leaflet divided
i to t way down (i.e. !2 leaflets
joined into I for t to ! their
length). Stamens 1,3 or 10 ; anthers
versatile. Bauhinia (p. 4)
zob. Leaves with several or many leaflets
Zla. Leaves simply pinnate. Anthers
basifixed. Cassia (p. Ig)
zlb. Leaves bipinnate. Anthers
versatile.
zza. Sepals overlapping in bud.
Petals more or less alike,
spreading; claw shorter
than the blade.
Peltophorum (p. 109)
zzb. Sepals touching along the
edge but not overlapping
in bud.
a3a. Sepals s pre a din g.
Petals long-clawed,
spreading, larger than
the stamens, the blade
in all of almost equal
width, fan-shaped,
conspicuous.
Delonix (p. 52)
 KEY TO GENERA 155
a3b. Sepals forming a cup.
Petals short-clawed,
tbe claw enclosed in
the calyx, erect,shorter
than the stamens, the
blade of one petal
much broader than the
others.
Colvillea (p. 42)
3b. Petals joined together for the greater part of their length.
24a. Flower regular (see 4a above).
2sa. Corolla saucer-shaped, 5-lobcd. Anthers usually con-
nivent and projecting as a narrow cone from the centre
of the flower ; filaments very short. Solanum (p. 134)
2Sb. Corolla rather funnel-shaped, the lower part narrowly
tubular.
26a. Petals 4 to 8, usually 6. Stigma with 4 recurved
clivisions. Calyx tubular or bell-shaped.
Cordia (p. 44)
26b. Petals 5. Stigma simple or two-lobed.
27a. Carpels forming a one-celled ovary. Flowers
axillary. Leaves opposite. Branches slender.
Gardenia (p. 83)
27b. Carpels 2, clistinct. Flowers in terminal
corymbs. Leaves alternate. Branches very
thick, forking. Plumeria (p. 112)
24b. Flower irregular (see 4b above).
28a. Calyx very large, 2 to 2t in. long, spathe- or boat-like,
being slit along the upper side. Corolla large, orange-
red, expanded from near tbe base into a curved bell
up to 41 in. long. Leaves simply pinnate; leaflets
9 to 19· . Spathodea (p. 13 6)
28b. Calyx much smaller, irz to l'~ in. long, 5-lobed, nol
spathe-like.
29a. Calyx i to A in. long. Corolla broadly bell-
shaped, 2 to 2i in. long, yellow or orange-red.
Leaves unclivided, narrowly oblong.
Tecomella (p. 139)
29b. Calyx about ~ in. long. Corolla narrower, white
or lavender. Leaves bipilmate ; leaflets 22 to 400.
3oa. Corolla white, to 3 1 in. long; tube narrow,
to 21 in. long, scarcely widening below the
spreacling lobes. . Millingtonia (p. 106)
30b. Corolla lavender, I to I t in. long; narrow
basal part of tube about i in. long, then
gradually widening and quite inflated in the
upper part. Jacaranda (p. 92)
 CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE
Comparison of the present work with the articles in the Journal
of tlte Bombay Natural History Society (1929-36) on which it is based
will reveal various changes in the scientific names adopted. Thus-
Bombax malabaricum is now Salmalia malabarica.
Bombax insigne is now Salmalia insignis.
Bombax scopulorum is now Salmalia scopulorum.
Bombax anceps is now Salmalia anceps.
Buteafrondosa is now Butea monosperma.
Cassia marginata is now Cassia Roxburgltii.
Cochlospermum Gossypium is now CocltLospermum religiosum.
Gardenia Lucida is now Gardenia resiniJera.
Gliricidia maculata is now GLiricidia sepium.
Lagerstroemia Flos Reginae is now Lagerstroemia speciosa.
Peltophorum ferrugilleum is now Peltophorum Roxburghii.
Plumeria acutifolia is now Plumeria rubra acutifolia.
Poinciana regia is now Delonix regia.
Poinciana data is now Delonix elata.
Solanum macranthum is now Solanum grandiflorum.
Sterculia colorata is now Firmiana colorata.
Nine of these result from reclassification. Thus the Potato Tree
erroneously known in India as "Solanum macranthum Dunal" has
been identified as belonging to another species. Following the Dutch
monographer Bakhuizen van der Brink (1924), the genus Bombax
has been divided and the Indian species referred to Salmalia (Gossam-
pinus). Following Corner (1940), the genus Firmiana (including
Erythropsis) has been separated from Sterculia. Following Woodson
(1938), Plumeria acutifolia has been united with P. rubra though accorded
varietal rank for garden purposes. The union of Poinciana with
Caesalpinia and the recognition of certain species (P. regia and P.
elata) as forming a distinct genus has brought the name Delonix into
general use for this since 1905. The other changes are due to the
adoption of the earliest available validly published specific epithet in
accordance with the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
and are already familar to botanists concerned with tropical plants.
 GLOSSARY OF SOME BOTANICAL TERMS
The descriptions in this book, being primarily intended for the
use of flower-lovers with little or no detailed knowledge of botany,
have been written in language as non-technical as possible, but the
use of some botanical terms has proved unavoidable. Most of these
are explained below. For the very numerous technical words used
in standard floras, like that of Bengal by Prain and of Madras by
Gamble and Fischer, the student should consult such a work as
B. Daydon Jackson, A Glossary of Botanic Terms (Duckworth, London).
ACTINOMORPHIC : regular.
ANTHER : upper pollen-producing part of a stamen; it is usually
attached by the base (i.e. basifixed) or towards the middle of the
back (i.e. dorsijixed) to a slender stalk (filament ).
ARBORESCENT: becoming a tree; (of genera) with members which
become trees.
AREOLE: space on a leaf between veins by which it is surrounded
and marked out.
ARIL: appendage on the seed formed by expansion of the funicle
or stalk of the ovule.
AXlLE : attached to the axis or centre.
AXILLARY: growing out of the axil or angle between the upper side
of the base of a leaf and the stem supporting it.
BACCATE: berry-like.
BASIFIXED : attached by the base.
BIPINNATE: with both primary and secondary division of the leaf
pinnate; compare the bipinnate leaves of Delonix (p. 52 ),
Jacaranda (p. 93) and Peltophorum (p. 109) with the simply pinnate
leaves of Cassia (p. 19), Gliricidia (p. 87) and Spathodea (p. 136)
which have no secondary divisions.
BLADE : broadened part of a stalked leaf or clawed petal.
BRACT: modified leaf intermediate in position and sometimes in
form between the true leaves and the calyx of the flower.
CALYX: outer part of the flower, often green, but sometimes brightly
coloured, e.g. Firmialla (p. 79) and Saraca (p. 130), often per-
sisting longer than the petals, e.g. Dillellia (p. 60), but sometimes
falling early, e.g. Cochlospermum (p. 38) ; it may consist of several
free segments (sepals) or be tubular and only partly divided into
calyx-lobes.
CAMPANULATE : bell-shaped.
CAPSULE: seed-vessel dry at maturity which breaks open (dehisces)
to liberate the seeds.
CARPEL: division of the pistil, comparable to a single leaf; often
the pistil consists of only one carpel; the carpels may be distinct
or joined into one organ.
'57
 SOl\1E BEAUTIFUL TREES
CLAW: long narrowed base or stalk of certain petals, e.g. Crataeva
(p. 47), Delonix (p. 52) and Lagerstroemia (p. 100).
COMPOUND LEAF: leaf divided into several or many leaflets; compare
the compound leaves of Crataeva (p. 47), Salmalia (p. 122), Cassia
(p. 19), Spathodea (p. 136), Jacaranda (p. 93) with the sjmple
leaves of Cochlospermum (p. 38), Lagerstroemia (p. 100).
CONNATE: joined together.
CONTORTED: twisted, one part being rolled up in another.
COROLLA: petals of an individual flower considered as a whole,
whether distinct and independent or joined together.
COTYLEDON : seed leaf.
DEHISOENT : splitting, breaking open.
DlADELPHOUS: with the stamens in two groups, i.e. usually one
stamen free, the others joined together by their filaments.
DISK: enlargement of the torus.
DISSEPIMENT: partition within the ovary.
DORSIFIXED: attached on the back above the base.
ENDOSPERM: food-store in the seed outside the embryo.
EXTRORSE: turned outward.
FAMILY: group of genera.
FILAMENT : lower anther-bearing part of a stamen.
FOLLICLE : dry fruit or seed-vessel, formed from a single carpel,
opening along one side (ventral suture).
FRUlT: mature seed-bearing body, not necessarily edible or succulent;
a pod (legume ) is a fruit.
GENUS: natural group comprising one, several or many species;
the first part of a two-word botanical name is the generic name,
c.g. Cassia (generic name),javanica (specific epithet); the generic
name and specific epithet together make the specific name,
e.g. Cassia javanica.
GYNOPHORE: basal stalk-like part of the pistil bearing the ovary
and arising within the calyx, e.g. Crataeva (p. 47), Firmiana
(p. 79); in most plants the ovary has no gynophore and is
stalkless (sessile), e.g. Salmalia (p. 122) ; it should not be confused
with the pedicel or flower-stalk which ends below the calyx.
HELICOID: coiled like a snail-shell.
HERMAPHRODITE: having male and female organs, i.e. stamens and
pistil, in the same flower.
HYPOGYNOUS: attached to the tip of the flower-stalk below the pistil,
which is described as superior.
IMBRICATE: overlapping.
INDUMENTUM: covering of bairs or scales.
INFLORESCENCE: part of the stem bearing or composed of a number
of flowers.
INTRORSE: turned inward.
INVOLUCRE: ring of bracts below the flower or a group of flowers.
 GLOSSARY 159
LEAFLET; ultimate division of a compound leaf; a trifoliolate leaf
has 3 leaflets, e.g. Butea (p. 12), Erythrina (p. 63), a pinnate
leaf, e.g. Spathodea (p. 136), more than 3 leaflets arranged along
a common stalk (rhachis).
MONADELPHOUS; with the filaments of all the stamens joined into one.
MURICATE; rough. with small hard projections.
NERVE; prominent vein of a leaf, etc.
OBOVATE; reversed egg-shape, i.e. broadest above the middle, with
the more acute end basal, and length to breadth about 3 to 2.
ORDER; group of families: the sequence in botanical classification
is Order (e.g. Rubiales) , Family (e.g. Rubiaceae), Genus (e.g.
Gardenia), Species (e.g. Gardenia restnifira ).
OVARY: lower part of the pistil containing the ovules and developing
later into the fruit containing the seeds (p. 123).
OVULE; potential seed within the ovary, usually requiring fertilisation
in order to develop.
PANICLE: loose many-flowered much-branched inflorescence, e.g.
Jacarallda (p. 93), Kleinhovia (p. 95)·
PANICULATE: possessing or arranged in a panicle.
PAPILIONACEOUS FLOWER: "butterfly" flower of the type found in
peas, beans and other members of the order Leguminosae, family
Papilionaceae, e.g. Butea (p. 12), Erythrina (p. 63), Gliricidia (p. 87),
Pterocarpus (p. 119), the outermost petal large and usually ascend-
ing (standard), the two side petals more or less parallel and free
(wings), the two lower petals joined along their lower edge
(forming the keel).
PAPILLOSE: covered with minute projections.
PARIETAL PLACENTATION: attachment of the ovules to the walls of
a one-celled ovary.
PEDICEL: stalk of an individual flower.
PETAL: division of the corolla, the usually showy envelope of the flower ·
between the calyx and the stamens; in Saraca there is no corolla
and what appear to be petals are petal-like (petaloid) calyx-lobes.
PETIOLE : stalk of a leaf.
PETIOLULE: stalk of a leaflet.
PINNA : leaflet of a pinnate leaf.
PINNATE: with simple leaflets (pinnae) arranged along two sides of
a common stalk (rhachis) , thus suggesting a feather (whence the
term, derived from Latin pinna or penna, "feather"); an
imparipinnate (or odd-pinnate) leaf, as in Gliricidia (p. 87), Spathotlea
(p. 136), ends in an odd terminal leaflet; a paripi7171ate (or
abruptly pinnate) leaf, as in Cassia (p. 19), Saraca (p. 130), ends
in a pair of opposite leaflets without an odd terminal leaflet.
PINNATIFID : pinnately cut.
PISTIL (or OYNOECIUM): central female part of the flower, later
developing into the fruit; typically it consists of the ovary or
potential seed-box (see fig. on p. 123), containing the ovules or
 SOME BEAUTIFUL TREES
potential seeds, surmounted by a sryle or upward prolongation
of the ovary and ending in a stigma, the part which receives the
pollen for fertilisation of the ovules; sometimes the ovary has a
stalk (or gynophore) as in Crataeva (p. 47), Firmiana (p. 79).
PLACENTA: part of the inside of the ovary to which the ovules are
attached.
RACEME: infloresce~ce of indeterminate growth (i.e. not ending in
a terminal flower which opens first) with the flowers on evident
stalks (pedicels ) arranged along a common lengthened main stalk
(rhachis), the lower flowers opening before those nearer the tip.
RACEMOSE: arranged in a raceme.
RACHIS : see RHACHIS.
RENIFORM; kidney-shaped.
RHACHIS (RACHIS) ; main stalk (axis) of an inflorescence or compound
leaf.
RHOMBOID: shaped somewhat like a rhombus, which is a figure longer
than broad with four equal sides.
SAOITTATE: like an arrow-head, i.e. enlarged at base into two pointed
straight lobes.
SEPAL; division of the calyx (or outer envelope of the flower), just
as a petal is a division of the corolla (or inner envelope).
SEPTUM; partition in the ovary.
STAMEN: one of the male organs of the flower, situated between the
petals and the pistil, consisting of the anther or pollen-box mounted
usually on a slender stalk (filament ).
STAMlNOOE: a modified, sterile or abortive stamen or what from its
position in the flower (corresponding to that of a stamen) appears
to be one, having no anther; e.g. in Jacaranda (p. 93) .
STIGMA: pollen-receptive part, usually terminal, of the pistil.
STIPULES : appendages at the base of the leaf-stalk.
STYLE: narrowed upper part of the pistil supporting the stigma.
TORUS: tip of tbe flower-stalk carrying the sepals, petals, stamens
and pistil.
TRlFOLIOLATE LEAF: compound leaf with only 3 leaflets, e.g. Butea
(p. 12), Crataeva (p . 47), Erythrina (p. 63 ).
VALVATE: with parts touching along the margin but not overlapping.
VERSATILE ANTHER: anther balanced on the filament, and thus able
to swing or turn on this, which is attached above the base of the
anther; a versatile dorsi fixed anther contrasts with a non-versatile
basifixed anther.
VERTICILLATE; whorled, arranged in a whorl.
WHORL: circle of organs, i.e. arising at approximately the same level
on the stem.
ZYOOMORPHIC: irregular; used when the parts of the corolla are
unequal in size, differ in shape or do not spread regularly at
equal distances, the corolla being divisible into equal halves
along only one plane.
SOME SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION
BAILEY, L. H. 1949. Manual of Cultivated Plants. 2nd ed. 1116 pages.
lllus. New York.
BAKHUIZEN VAN DEN BRINK, R. C. 1924. Revisio Bombacacearum.
Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg, Ill, 6, 171-232.
BENTHALL, A. P. 1946. The Trees of Calcutta and its Neighbourhood.
513 pages. Illus. Calcutta.
BaR, N. L. 1954. Manual of Indian Forest Botany. 441 pages. Illus.
Oxford.
BRANDIS, D. 1906. Indian Trees. 767 pages. lIlus. London.
BURKART, A. 1952. Las Leguminosas Argentinas Silvestres y Cultivadas.
2nd ed. 569 pages. Illus. Buenos Aires.
CHATIERJEE, D. J 948. A Review of Bignoniaceae of India and
Burma. Bulletin of Botanical Society of Bengal, z, 62-79·
CORNER, E. J. H. 1940. Wayside Trees of Malaya. 2 vols (770 pages).
Illus. Singapore.
COWEN, D. V. 1950. Flowering Trees and Shrubs in India. 187 pages.
III us. Bombay.
GAMBLE, J. S. and FISCHER, C. E. C. 1915-36. Flora of the Presidency
of Madras. 3 vols (20 17 pages). London.
HOOGLAND, R. D. 1952. A Revision of the Genus Dillenia. Blurnea,
7, 1-145·
HOOI<.ER, J. D. and OTHERS. 1875-97. The Flora of British India.
7 vols. London.
HUTCHINSON, J. 1926. The Families of Flowering Plants: I. Dico-
tyledons. 328 pages. Illus. London.
MCCANN, C. 1947. Trees if India, a Popular Handbook. 140 pages.
Illus. Bombay.
MCCLINTOCK, E. 1953. The Cultivated Species of Erythrina.
Baileya, I, 53-58.
MACMILLAN, H. F. 1943. Tropical Planting and Gardening, with Special
Rife renee to Ceylon. 5th ed. 560 pages. Illus. London.
MERRILL, E. D. 1910. An Enumeration of Philippine Leguminosae,
with Keys. Philippine Journal of Science c. Botany,S, 1-13 6 .
PERTCHlK, B. and PERTOIDK, H. 1951. Flowering Trees of the
Caribbean. 125 pages. III us. New York.
PRAIN, D. 1903. Bengal Pla1lts. 2 vols. (1319 pages) . Calcutta.
TROUP, R. S. [921. Th.e Silviculture of Indian Trees. 3 vols. III us.
Oxford.
WATT, G. 1889-96. A Dictionary of the Economic Products if India.
6 vols. Calcutta.

J6J x
 CORRIGENDA
Page 3 for R affil read R affill
Pag 37 for Vol. 18 read Vol. 17
Page 47 for (1 827 ) read ( 1826)
Page 47 add :
Syn. Crateva Roxburghii R . Brown in Denham and Clapperton, Narrative
of Travels, Appendix, 224 (1826)
Pages xi, 47-5', 145, 153, 156, 158, [60 for Crataeva read Crateva
Page 83 for R oth., read R oLh,
Page 93 for avet. read Mel.

Pag vii, ix, 156 and plate xxiii for Pell"ophorum Roxbul'ghii read
Peltophorum pterocarpum
Pag 109 new heading:
THE COPPER-POD
P ELTOPHORUM PTER CARPUM (DC. ) Backer ex K. Heyne, Nutt. PI.
Nederl. Indie, ed. 2, 755 (1927).
Syn. Inga pterocarpa De Candolle, Procb'. 2, 441 ( J824)-Peltophorum
Roxburghii (G. Don) Degener-PeltopllOTwn ferrugineum (Decne)
Bentham.
The epithet pterocarpum (meaning" with winged fruit"
and alluding to the pods) has priority of valid publication
over the other epithets (inerme, Roxburghii, and ferrugineum)
applied to this tree and hence should be adopted.
Page 13 I for hypenthium t'ead hypanthium
 INDEX
ADAMBEA glabra, 100 Cochlospermaceae, 147
Aloe-wood,44 Cochlospermum, 147, 153
Amherstia, 1, 148 Cochlcsptrmum Gossypium, 3B
Amherslia rwbilis (Splendid Amherstia) C. religiosum (Yellow Silk-cotton Tree),
I (frontispiece) 38 (pI. vi)
Apocynaceae, 117, 149 Colvillea, 148, 155
Asoka Tree, 190 Colvilka ractmosa (Colville's Glory), 42
(pI. vii)
BARDADOS PRIDE, 56 Copper-pod, 109
Barna, Sacred, 47 Coral Tree, Indian, 63
Bauhinia, 4, 148, 154 Cordia, 44, 150, 155
Bauhinia purpurta (Purple Bauhinia), 8 Cordia Myxa, 44
B. varitgala (Variegated Bauhinia), 4 C. Sebtslena (Scarlet Cordia or Aloe-
(pI. i) wood), 44 (pI. viii)
Bhendi Tree, 141 Cork Tree, Indian, 106
Bigrwnia subtrosa, 106 Crapemyrtle, Common, 105
B. wldulala, 139 Queen, 104
Bignoniaceae, 108,257 Crataeva, 145
Bombacacc:ae, 129, 147 CralalVa NUTvaia (Sacred Barna), 47
Bombax allups, 129 (pI. ix)
B. Gossypillm , 38 C. religiosa, 47
B. illSigllt, '27 Crepe Myrtle, 105
B. malabaricum, 122
B . religiosum, 38 DELOl\TJX, 55, 148, 154
B. scopulorum, 128 Dtlotzix tlala (White Gul Mobur) , !i7
Boraginaceae, 150 (pI. xi)
Buparili popu/tlta, 141 D. regia (Gul Mobur or Flamboyant),
Butea, 17, 149,153 52 (pI. x)
BUlta jrondosa, 12 Dillerua, 62, 85,158
B. mnrwsptrma (Flame of the Forest), Dillenia indiea (Large-flowered Dillenia),
12 (pI. ii) 60 (pI. xii)
B. suptrba (Climbing Palas), 18 Dilleniaceae, 62, 85.

CAESALPINIA, 56 ENTEROLOBIUM SamaIl, 78

Caesalpinia jtrrUginea, 109 Erythrina, 69, 149, 153
C. inermis, 1 09 ErylhriM arbortscens, 74
C. pulcherrima, !i6 E. BlaJcti, 77
Caesalpiniaceae, 59, '48 E. Crista-galli, 76
Capparidaceae, 145 E.jusca, 7'2
Capparis lrifoliata, 47 E. Hypaphorus, 75
Cassia, 26, 148, 154 E. indica (Indian Coral Tree), 63
Cassia fislula (Indian Laburnum) , '9 (pi. xiii)
(pI. iii) E. i. alba, 67
C. grandis (Horse Cassia), 33 E. i. marmorata, 67
C. javanica (Java Cassia), '27 (pI. iv) E. i. Parcellii, 67
C. marginata, 32 E. i. pieta, 67
C. multijuga, 34 E. lithosptrma, 75
C. rwriosa, 29 E. monosperma, 12
C. rtnigtra (Burmese Pink Cassia), 35 E. mysoTlnsis, 7'
(pI. v) E. ovali!o[ia, 7'2
C. RoxDurghii (Red Cassia), 31 E. rtsupinata. 76
Cathartacarpus fistula, 19 E. stricta, 71
163
 INDEX
E. suberosa, 72 LABURNUM, Indian, 19
E. s. glabrtScens, 73 Lagerstroemia, 100, 146,152
E. s. sublobala, 74 Lagerstroemia Flos Reginae, 100
E. subumbrans, 75 L. indica (Crepe Myrtle), 105
Erythropsis, 79 L. Regiruu, 100
Erythropsis colarata, 79 L. sptciosa (Queen's Flower), 100 (pl.
E·folgens, 79 xxi)
E. pallens, 79 Leguminosae, 77
E. RoxhurghiantJ, 79 Lignum Vitae Tree, go
Lonchocarpu.r sepium, 87
FAMILIES, Descriptions of, 145 Lythraceae, 146
Firmiana, 79, 147, 152
Firmiana colorala (Coloured Sterculia), 79 MADAGASCAR, Map of, 43, 54
(pI. xiv) Malvaceae, 143, 148
Millingtonia, 106, lSI, 155
F. julgerzs, 79
F. pollens, 79 Miltingtonia Izortensis (Indian Cork Tree),
106 (pI. xxii)
Flamboyant, 52
Flame of the Forest, 12 Munchau.ria speciosa, 100
Fountain Tree, 136 NIGHTSHADE, Large-flowered, 134
Frangipani, I 17
White, 118 PADAUK,1I9
Pagoda Tree, I 12
GARDENIA, 83, 150, '55 Palas, Climbing, 18
Gardenia lucida , 83 Papilionaceae, 148
G. rtSinifera (Brilliant Gardenia), 83 Peacock Flower, 56
(pl. xv) Peltophorum, log, 148, 154
Gliricidia, 87, 149, 154 Peltophorumjmugineum, 109
Gliricidia macula/a, 87 P. inerme, log
G. sepium (Spotted GIiricidia), 87 (pI. P. Roxburghii (Copper-pod), 109 (pI.
xvi) xxiii)
Glory, Colville's, 42 Plaso monosperma, 12
Gossampinu.r anceps, 129 Plumeria, 112, 115, 149, 155
G. insignis, 127 Plumeria aculi/olia, J J!2
G. rrudabarica, 122 P. alba (White Frangipani), 118
C. 'ubra, 122 P. rubra, I I 7
Guaiacum, go, 146, 152 P. r. acutifolia (Pagoda Tree), 12!2
Guaiacum officinale (Lignum Vitae Tree), (pI. xxiv)
go (pl. xvii) P. r. rubra (Frangipani), I 17 (pI. xxiv)
Guango,78 P. r. lrico/or, 114
Gul Mohur, 52 P. r. typica, I J 7
White, 57 Poinciana, 56
Poinciana elata,s 7
HTPAPHORUS subumbrans, 75 P. pulcherrima, 56
P. fegia, 52
Porria Tree, 144
JACARANDA, 93, '50, 155
Jacaranda acutifolia auct. non Humb. & Potato Tree, Large-flowered, 134
Bonpl.,93 Pterocarpus, I 19, 149, 154
J. mimosijolia (Mimosa-leaved Jacar- Pterocarpu.r indicus (Padauk), 119 (pI. xxv)
anda), 93 (pl. xviii) P. macrocarpus, 119
J. ovalifolia, 93 QUEEN'S FLOWER, 100
KLEINHOVIA,95, 147, 152 RAIN TREE, 78
Kleinhovia hospila (Kleinhovia), 95 (pI. Rubiaceae, 149
xix)
Kydia, 97, 148, 152 SALMALIA, 125, 148, 153
Kydia calycina (Roxburgh's Kydia) , 97 Salmalia Dm'PS, 129
(pl. xx) S. insignis, 127
 INDEX 165
S. malabaril:a (Silk-cotton Tree), 122 S. macranJlwm, 134
(pI. xxvi) S. Wrightii, 134
S. scopulorum, J 28 Spathodea, 136, 151, 155
Sama7lla Saman, 78 SpalJwdea campanulata (Scarlet-bell or
Saraca, 130, 147, 152 Fountain Tree), 136 (pI. xxix)
Saraca indica (Asoka Tree) , 130 (pI. Sterculia, Coloured, 79
xxvii) Sterculia colorata, 79
Scarlet-bell, 134 Sterculiaceae, 82
Senna, Apple-blossom, 29
Golden-shower, 25
Pink-shower, 33 TECOMA undulata, 139
Shield-bearer, Rwty, 109 Tecomella, 139, 151, 155
Silk-cotton Tree, 122 Tecomella undulata (Wavy-leaved Teco-
Yellow, 38 rnella), 139 (pI. xxx)
Simultree, Malabar, 126 Thespesia, 141 , 148, 153
Solanaceae, 150 Thespesia Jwpulnea (Bhendi Tree), 141
Solanum, 135, 150, 155 (pI. xxxi)
Solanum grandiflorum (Large - flowered
Nightshade or Potato Tree), 134
(pI. xxviii) ZYGOPHYLLACEAE, 91
PRINTED tN CRRAT aRITAIN BY
OL IVER AND BOYD l,.TP.
EDINBURGH