Albizzia.] XXXI. LEGUMINOS^E. 177 



bands of lighter colour. Tough, seasons well, works freely, and takes a fine 

 polish ; weight of cub. ft. 50-55 lb. Fairly durable. Much valued for sugar- 

 cane crushers, oil-pestles and mortars, furniture, well-curbs, naves, spokes, and 

 other wheel- work. A mild pellucid gum exudes from cracks in the bark. The 

 leaves and twigs are a favourite fodder for camels. 



Easily raised from seed; its growth during the first few years is exceedingly 

 rapid. Young plants suffer from frost severely in the Panjab. Trees 12 years 

 old in the Panjab have 2 ft. in girth, 30 years 4^ ft., and at Sakkhar in Sindh, 

 on low alluvial soil, trees 17 years old have attained 5-6 ft. in girth. In Sindh 

 and the South Panjab it is often grown from cuttings, which strike root readily, 

 even large sticks and posts put in the ground shooting vigorously. The roots 

 spread widely, but are shallow, and the tree is apt to be blown down. In 

 Central and North- West India it is commonly grown in avenues, but it is an 

 unsightly tree during the hot season with the large, dry, yellow pods hanging 

 on the bare branches. In the Antilles it is called Fry- wood, the sound of the 

 pods in the wind resembling that of frying meat. 



The structure of the wood of this and the two preceding species of Albizzia 

 is similar ; in all three the sap is large ; on a longitudinal section the pores are 

 prominently marked, and on a cross-section the heartwood shows darker con- 

 centric lines or irregular concentric bands, often interrupted (segments of the 

 circle only). These darker lines or patches probably coincide, in most cases, 

 with the lines separating the wood formed in successive seasons ; nevertheless it 

 can by no means be said that these woods have clearly-marked annual rings. 

 The pores are largest in A. procera ; they are often in groups of 2, and always 

 surrounded by small rounded patches of white tissue ; these patches are not 

 generally connected with each other, but, being arranged in more or less con- 

 centric lines, they give the appearance of wavy, lighter-coloured bands. A. 

 Lebbek has smaller pores, frequently in groups of 2, each pore or group of pores 

 in a patch of lighter tissue, but these patches are always distinct. The medul- 

 lary rays are somewhat larger in A. procera than in Lebbek. 



5. A. Julibrissin, Boivin; Benth. 1. c. 91 ; BoissierFl. Orient, ii. 639, 

 Syn. Acacia Julibrissin, Willd. ; A. mollis, Wall. Pink Siris. Vern. 

 Sirin, kurmru, surangru, shirsh, buna, tandai, mathirshi, brind, Pb. ; 

 Siris, barau, baraulia, bhokra, N.W.P. The specific name is a corruption 

 of Giddb-resliam, the rose-silk. 



A large shrub or moderate-sized tree, extremities and leaves pubescent 

 or tomentose, rarely glabrous. Common petiole 6-12 in. long, a large 

 gland on the naked part, and smaller interjugal glands above. Pinnae 

 6-12 pair, leaflets 10-30 pair, unequal-sided, the middle nerve near the 

 upper edge, from a broad and obtuse base oblong-falcate, acute, \-\ in. 

 long, \ in. broad at base. Flowers light rose-coloured, 1-1 \ in. long to 

 the extremity of stamens ; peduncles 2-3 in. long, in fascicles of 2-3 from 

 the upper axils, forming short corymbose racemes ; pedicels short. Calyx 

 and corolla pubescent, with white silky hairs. Calyx funnel-shaped, half 

 the length of corolla. Filaments irregularly connate at the base, tube 

 included. Legume linear, 4 in. long, f in. broad, pubescent ; seeds 4-6. 



Outer Himalaya from the Indus to Sikkim, ascending to 5000, and at times 

 to 6000 ft. North Persia, China, Japan. Generally on rocky but moist ground. 

 Fl. April- June ; the pods ripen in autumn and remain long on the tree. Culti- 

 vated in the Mediterranean region, and in America. 



M 



