444 XLTIII. LEGTTMIXOS.'E. 



tree with dark brown or black lougitudinally-fissurod bnrk ; btancldots 

 skMider, tcroto, pubescent when young. Ijeav(\s l?-pinnat(', --4 in. long ; 

 main rhachis downy, often furnislied with glands; petioles 1-2 in. long ; 

 stipular spines very variable, i-2 in. long, smooth, nsually whitish, 

 straight, sharp, often absent ; ])inna3 4-9 ])airs, |-2 in. long, shortly 

 stalked. Leaflets snbsessile, lU-25 pairs, ^— J- by -V"t'2 ^"•' li"^-'*'" 

 oblong, subobtuse, glabrous or nearly so. Plowers yellow, in globose 

 heads ; pedunch^s axillmy, in fascicles of 2-6, terete, pubescent ; brac- 

 teoles 2 above the middle of the peduncle, broadly ovate, acute, pubescent. 

 Calyx campanulate, t/j in. long ; teeth very short. Corolla ^ in. long; 

 lobes short, tiiangular. Pods stalked, 8-6 by ^-| in., mDuiliform, com- 

 })ressed, constricted at the sutures between the seeds, densely and jier- 

 sistenth' grey downy. Seeds 8-12. Fl. B. I. v. 2, p. 21)3; Grab. Cat. 

 p. 59 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 86 ; Bedd. Flor. Sylvat. t. 47 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. 

 V. 2, p. 122 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. ed. 2, p. 152 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. 

 Xat. V. 11 (1898) p. 429; Watt, Diet. Ecou. Prod. v. 1, p. 18.— 

 Flowers : June-Jan. Vjkri^. Bdhhal. 



Throughout the Presideucy, except in moist regions near the coast. Widely planted 

 in the Deccan, Gujarat, and Sind. — Di.strib. Throughout the greater part of India; 

 Cejlon, Arabia, Egypt, Tropical Africa, Natal. 



Tlie well-known Bdhhal or Indian Giim-Arahic tree. Tlie gum is used medicinally 

 and by the calico-printer, and also forms an inferior substitute fur true Gum- Arabic. 

 The I ark and the pods supply a valuable tannnig material. Tiie green pods, young 

 shoots and leaves form an excellent, fodder, and are especially valuable during .seasons 

 of drought. The timber is hard and durable and extensively used for wheels, well- 

 curbs, and very largely as fuel. See Walt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. c. 



A"ak. 1. ciipressiformis, Stewart, Pb. PI. (1809) p. 51 ; branches 

 closing up to the trunk like a cypress. V.^R. c>iprcssii\a, Aitch. Pb. & 

 Sind PI. p. 54. Vab. lldmhinta. Grab. Cat. p. 59 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 86 ; 

 Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Kat. v. 11 (1898) p. 429. — Vekn. lidmlcdnta. 



This is rather a doubtful variety. The peculiar growth of the branches may, as 

 Stewart remarks, have been caused by ages of ruthless lopping of the side branches. 

 Edgeworth states that near INFultan the variety is sometimes seen on the same tree 

 with the ordin;u-y form. It is common in the Deccan and Gujarat as well as in 

 Sind. 



Yar. 2. vediana ; bark more deeply cracked and exfoliating ; crown 

 formed of twisted angular interlacing branches ; spines usually white, 

 stout, up to 2| in. long : pods flat, shortly stalked, j in. broad, little 

 constricted between the seeds. 



JNo/f.— In the ' Indian Forester,' v. 2.3 (1808) p. 3.59, Sir D. Brandis called attention 

 to a variety of babhal called in the vernawdnr in Berar, where he had collected the 

 plant, " Kaulia babhal." The variety is also cnnnnon in the Deccan (Poona, Sholiipur, 

 &c.), where it is called " Yedi (/. e. mad) biibhal." See (jleadf)w and also Fagun in 

 'Indian Forester,' v. '23 (1^98) p. 4l.'i. Tiie ordinary form witji inoniliforin pods is 

 called "Telia babhnl '' in Berar as well as in Khaiidesh on the conliiies of Berar, but 

 is known as " God i (sweet) babhal " in the Deccan further south. The wood of the 

 " Kaulia or Vcdi babhal" is considered useless for building or agricultural implements 

 and fit only for firewood, while the wood oi the " Telia or Godi b.ibliMl " is used for 

 every purpose for which a strong timber is needed. The pods of both arc considered 

 equally valuable as food fur sluep and goats. Mr. Fagan (l. c.) states that the prices 

 of large logs of the two kinds of babiial would be as 1 : 5. 



The tree (Vedi babhal) is called " Eree babhal" by Da/sell # Gilmn (Bo. Fl. p. 86) 

 as well as by Woodrow in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1898) p. 429. Fuller information 

 may be obtained by consulting Mr. P'agan's paper in the ' Indian Forester' (/. c). I 

 have transformed the Deccan name " vedi" into a varietal name vediana. 



