Spathodea.] LIX. BIGNONIACE^l. 349 



near the base of the corolla. These considerations have induced me, as a pro- 

 visional arrangement, to keep the species described below united under the genus 

 Spathodea, although they differ in habit and essential characters, and though 

 the name Spathodea is not appropriate for all of them. 



1. S. xylocarpa, T. Anderson. Tab. XLIII. Syn. Bignonia xylo- 

 carpa, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 108 j Wight. 111. t. 1336 j Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 70. 

 Vern. Kharsing, kharsingi, Bombay ; Bairsingi, Khandeish Dangs ; Jai- 

 mangal, sondar-padal, Mandla, Balaghat, C.P. ; Dhota mar a, Gonds, Sat- 

 pura range. 



A middle-sized tree. Leaves bipinnate, 1-4 ft. long, glabrous, hard and 

 somewhat rough when full-grown; pinnae 4-6 pair, pinnules 3-5 pair, 

 short-petiolulate, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, entire. Flowers white, with a 

 tinge of yellow, fragrant, appearing before the leaves expand ; pedicels as 

 long as calyx or longer, clustered in bracteate umbellate fascicles, these 

 in terminal, compound trichotomous cymes ; bracts oblong, shorter than 

 pedicels, as well as ramifications of inflorescence and calyx soft-pubescent. 

 Calyx campanulate, coloured, with 5 short and unequal teeth. Corolla 

 2 in. long, oblique, segments nearly equal, curled, cylindrical part of 

 tube very short, stamens inserted near the base, filaments hairy below. 

 Capsule 1-3 ft. long, a little curved, hard, woody, very rough, with 

 numerous large, irregular, hard tubercles, somewhat compressed, valves 

 1J-1J in. broad, convex, -J in. thick, inside smooth and shining; 

 dissepiment cylindric, grey, shining, attached before dehiscence to the 

 median line of the valves. Seeds numerous, in 4 rows (2 in each 

 cell), flat, slightly curved, \ in. long, and equally broad, wings delicate, 

 transparent, oblong, 1-1 J in. long from end to end; hilum \ in. long, 

 arching. 



Common in South India. Khandeish Dangs. Satpura range, Mandla and 

 Balaghat (not common). Fl. April, May, when nearly leafless. The new foli- 

 age appears about the commencement of the rains. Fruit takes a year to ripen. 

 Growth said to be rapid. 



Attains 30-35 ft. in the Satpura range, but grows into a large tree in the 

 moister forests along the western Ghats. Foliage pale green, resembling that of 

 Schrehera swietenioides. Bark light grey, Jr in. thick. 



Heartwood light brown, reddish or reddish-brown, close-grained tough and 

 elastic, medullary rays numerous, fine pores in groups, each group in a roundish 

 patch of white tissue. 



2. S. amoena, A. DC. Prodr. ix. 208. Syn. Radermachera amosna, Seem. 

 Journal of Botany, viii. p. 146 ; Bignonia amosna, Wall. PI. As. rar. 

 t. 183. 



A large tree. Leaves opposite, bipinnate; leaflets ovate - lanceolate, 

 entire, acuminate, glabrous, shining. Flowers large, fragrant, white, 

 orange inside. Calyx bilabiate. Stamens inserted near the base of cor- 

 olla-tube, anther-cells divergent. Pods rust-coloured, pendulous, slender, 

 linear, 12-18 in. long, valves coriaceous, \ in. broad. Seeds (including 

 wings) J in. long. 



