Order 42. Leguminosce. 103 



regions. Covered with dust in the hot weather it is not a lovely 

 object to the traveller, " thirsting in a land of sand and thorns," but 

 tinder favourable conditions its beauty is undeniable. A. Farnesiana 

 (VacheUia F. D.), Eri babul, guya bdbul^Kankar, closely resembles this 

 except that the pod is short, thick, cylindrical and pulpy inside. It 

 is a doubtful native, but common in the Deccan, Cutch and Sind. 



A. Arabica and some other species yield gum arable, and other sorts 

 used in medicine : 



" One whose subued eyes 

 Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees 

 Their medicinable gum/' Othello. 



" Theshittim tree of Scripture is without doubt one of the acacias, 

 and A. Arabica may be included in the name." Diet, of Bible. 



* A. eburnea, also very like the babul, but with fewer leaflets, and 

 a very narrow flat pod ; flowers golden-yellow : Mar-mat, Deccan (D.). 

 Rdmkanta, which D. calls a var. of the babul, is a tall broom-like tree, 

 with close ascending branches. I have not identified it in H. 



2. A. leucophlcea. A tree with strong twin thorns on the 

 young parts, pinnae 6 to 12 pair, leaflets 15 to 30 pair, blunt, 

 very small ; the small heads of pale yellow flowers are in large 

 panicles, which distinguishes it from , the rest : pod linear, 

 sometimes curved, hairy, about 15-seeded. Hewar, nimbar, 

 pdndhari babul. 



Khandesh, E. Deccan, S. M. country and Cutch. 

 (6) Flowers in stalked axillary spikes. 



3. A. Suma (A. catechu, D.). A small tree with white bark 

 and hooked thorns in pairs, pinnae 10 to 20 pair, leaflets 30 to 

 50 pair, flowers white, calyx very downy, pod strap-shaped, 

 straight, 6 to 8-seeded. Khair, Khaderi. 



This is the common species in the Konkan as the babul is in the 

 drier parts. It is a delicate-looking and pretty tree. From this 

 chiefly, Kdtli is made from which the Konkaii tribe of Kathkaries get 

 their name. A. Sundra, Idlkhair, H. calls scarcely more than a variety 

 of this, but it is generally with us a much larger tree, has dark bark, 

 a hairy calyx, and narrower and thinner pods. It is common in the 

 Deccan. 



4. *A. ferruginea also closely resembles A. suma, but is a 

 large tree with dark bark, thorns sometimes absent, flowers 

 yellow, pod dark-brown, smooth, the upper edge narrowly 

 winged. Kaigar. 



5. A. latronum. A shrub or small tree, bark dark, spotted 

 with white, thorns very large, white and straight, united at the 

 base; pinnae 2 to 5 pair, leaflets 6 to 15 pair, minute, linear, 

 flowers white, turning yellow, fragrant, pod oblong, thin, flat 

 and curved, 2 to 4- seeded. JBhes, devbdbuL 



