Stereospermum.] LIX. BIGNONIACE.E. 351 



5. STEREOSPERMUM, Chamisso. 



Trees, with opposite, imparipinnate leaves. Flowers in terminal 

 panicles. Calyx 5 - dentate or 2 - 5 - lobed. Corolla campanulate, limb 

 oblique, lobes equal or bilabiate. Stamens inserted near the base of 

 corolla-tube, didynamous, anther-cells divergent. Ovary 2-celled; ovules 

 in 1 series on each placenta. Capsule linear cylindrical or tetragonous, 

 generally contorted, opening loculicidally in 2 valves, the valves coria- 

 ceous, the dissepiment thick, spongy, jointed, entirely filling the capsule, 

 transverse with relation to the valves, and attached before dehiscence 

 to their median line. Seeds wedge-shaped, with a rounded back, the 

 nucleus doubled up between the joints of the dissepiments, radicle and 

 plumula* lying along the sharp edge of the wedge, the cotyledons being 

 doubled up outwards; testa spongy or crustaceous, having the appearance 

 of projecting into the seed and dividing it into 2 incomplete cells ; wings 

 oblong delicate membranous on 2 sides, attached to the rounded back 

 of the seed. 



Pubescent ; capsule cylindrical, valves hard thick crustaceous, 



rough, | in. diameter . . . . . . . 1. S. suaveolens. 



Glabrous ; capsule compressed, valves thin coriaceous, smooth, 



\ in. broad 2. S. chelonoidcs. 



1. S. suaveolens, DC. ; Wight Ic. t. 1342. Syn. Bignonia suaveolens, 

 Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 104. Sans. Pdtali. Vern. Parol, padal, padiala, 

 padaria, parur. Local names : Pandri, phdndri, C.P. 



A large tree; pubescent, young parts soft and viscous - tomentose. 

 Leaves 12-24 in. long, leaflets 2-3, rarely 4 pair, shortly, the terminal leaf- 

 let longer petiolulate, oval, acuminate, 3-6 in. long, often serrate, with 6-8 

 pairs of prominent main lateral nerves, joined by obliquely transverse 

 veins. Flowers of a dark, dull-crimson colour, exquisitely fragrant, 1-J 

 in. long, in large, lax, trichotomous viscid panicles. Calyx campanulate, 

 4-cleft, the 2 upper divisions each with 2 minute teeth. Corolla pubes- 

 cent, funnel-shaped, limb oblique, bilabiate, the 3 inferior lobes longer, 

 and the edges of all much curled. Capsule cylindrical, dark grey, rough, 

 with elevated white specks, valves thick, hard, crustaceous; 18-24 in. long, 

 and f in. diameter ; dissepiment cylindrical, brown, J in. diameter. Seeds 

 J-l J in. apart, wedged into narrow notches of the dissepiment. 



A common tree in South-, Central- India, Bengal, and Burma. In the sub- 

 Himalayan tract and outer hills ascends to 4000 ft., extends north-west to the 

 Jhelam, and is common as far as the Jumna. Often associated with Sal. The 

 old leaves are shed in April, the young foliage appearing by the end of that 

 month or early in May. The flowers issue with or before the new leaves, the 

 fruit ripens Nov., Dec, and remains long on the tree. Attains 70-80 ft. in 

 Kamaon, with a tall, fairly straight trunk, to 6 ft. girth, and 30 ft. to the first 

 branch, much smaller in the drier climate of Central India. Bark $- in. thick, 

 dark grey or brown, the outer soft corky and darker-coloured layer flaking off 

 in pieces, leaving a fresh smooth light-cinereous surface. " Leaves of young 

 plants harsh and serrated, those of the mature tree soft villous and entire " (R. 



