887 

 SOME BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL TREES AND THEIR USES. 



BY 



H. F. Macmillan. 



The selection of this subject I owe chiefly to the Hon'ble Mr. Ferguson, 

 who has been lately collecting information about flowering trees in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Colombo. I have for the present included under the above 

 heading only fine flowering trees, not however that there are not many trees 

 which are also very handsome on account of their foliage ; but these might 

 well form the subject of another paper. The former may be distinguished 

 by the convenient term Flowering Trees, which does not of course apply in 

 a botanical sense, since all trees normally produce flowers, whether these 

 are showy or inconspicuous. Many flowering trees of the tropics are of 

 surpassing beauty and magnificence, and the more they are seen and the larger 

 their number together, the greater do their beauty appeal to one. They 

 have, with few exceptions, no counterparts in temperate countries, unless they 

 might by a stretch of the imagination be considered as greatly magnified forms 

 of the more showy annuals and perennials which so effectively adorn gardens 



and parks in cooler climes. 



* * ss o * o o 



The following are some of the most beautiful flowering trees of the tropics, 

 given in alphabetical order. By coincidence the first on the list is perhaps 

 the finest flowering tree in the world, viz. : — 



Amherstia nobilis (Leguminosce), named in honour of Lady Amherst. 

 A medium-sized tree, native of Burma, and considered the most beautiful 

 of all flowering trees. Its immense candelabrum-like sprays of red and 

 yellow flowers, drooping from every branch of the tree among the handsome 

 foliage, present an appearance of astonishing elegance and loveliness. It is 

 in flower during the greater part of the year, but its chief flowering season is 

 January to March. The tree thrives in the moist low-country up to 1,600 

 feet, and requires good rich and well-drained soil. It does not seem to 

 flourish near the sea, and I believe is seldom met with about Colombo. 

 Introduced to Ceylon in 1860. 



Bauhinia triandra (Legiimhiosce) — " Mountain Ebony ". — A small tree 

 with very showy large flowers, borne in racemes, pink merging into purple. 

 Each of the leaves is composed of two leaflets joined at the base ; hence the 

 genus takes its name from Bauhin, twin brothers and botanists. 



Brownea ariza (Leguminosa.) — A small spreading tree with pinnate 

 drooping foliage, native of Tropical America, and introduced to Ceylon in 

 1884. It bears from the ends of the branches large clusters of blossom which 



S — After the common name means Sinhalese. 

 T = Tamil. 

 23 



