506 LEG UMINOS2L. 
Hab.—Uncertain. Cultivated in India. Syn.—Poinciana 
pulcherrima. 
Vernacular.—Gul-i-turah, Krishna-chura (Hind., . Beng.), 
Shankeshvar (Mar.), Mail-Kannai, Komri (Tam.), Kenjige 
(Can.). 
History, Uses, &c.—This elegant shrub, named after ze 
M. de Poinci, once Governor of the Antilles, has become quite 
naturalized in India, and is one of the commonest of garden 
shrubs. According to Ainslie it was introduced into the Botani- — 
cal Gardensin Calcutta in 1792. He gives the following descrip- 
tion of it:—‘‘ The species in question is a most beautiful tree, 
which commonly rises to about 12 to 14. feet high, with leaves 
doubly pinnate, and leaflets oblong-oval, emarginate ; they and 
the calices smooth ; corymbs simple; petals fringed ; stamens 
very long. It secu appear to be a native of both the Indies; it 
is the Hoa-phung of the Cochin-Chinese ; on the Malabar Coast 
it is called Tsietti-mandéru ; in Ceylon, its common name is — 
Monora-mal; and from its extreme beauty, Burmann gave it 
the appellation of ‘ Crista pavonis flore elegantissimo variegato.” 
The French in the West Indies call it ‘ Fleur de paradis.’ 
The flowers come out in loose spikes at the extremity of the 
branches, the petals which have an agreeable odour, are beau- — 
tifully variegated with a deep red or orange colour, yellow, — 
and some spots of green,” All parts of the plant are said to ~ 
be emmenagogue and purgative, but there appears to be no 
record of any exact observations upon this point. 
_ Description.—The bark is ash-coloured, smooth, thickly 
studded with small elliptic corky warts, the whole of the suber 
readily separates like birch bark, disclosing a streaky, mottled, 
green and pink surface, which is marked by numerous small 
scars corresponding to the warts above mentioned ; the sub- 
e _ stance and internal surface of the bark is of a pinkish tinge. 
Taste rather nauseous, very astringent, microscopic structure 
in prea wees pees 
one = loaded with seme o man, 
