340 XXIII. LEGUMINOSAE 



6 pairs by the end of the first season. Stipules minute, yellow tomentose. 

 Rachis 1 in. (in the earliest leaves) to 5 in. long, yellow or rusty tomentose, 

 terminating in a fine bristle. Leaflets opposite, with petioles up to 0-05 in. 

 long, larger towards apex than at base of leaf, those of earlier leaves 0-2-1 in. 

 by 0-1-0-5 in., those of later leaves 0-4-2 in. by 0-2-0-8 in., ovate, acute or 

 acuminate, base rounded or acute, entire, finely pubescent to glabrescent, 

 lateral veins up to eight pairs. 



Rate of growth. Mr, Tireman recorded in 1916 the measurements of 

 thirty-seven young trees in an abandoned coffee estate at Mercara, Coorg. 

 These trees were raised from seedlings about a foot high collected in the forest 

 and planted in 1908, and at the time of measurement were therefore about 

 eight or possibly nine years old from seed. The plants had received practically 

 no attention since they were planted. In 1916 their height varied from 7 to 

 24 ft. and averaged 15 ft., while their girth varied from 4-5 to 31 in. and 

 averaged 10-9 in. 



4. HARDWICKIA, Roxb. 



Species 1. H. hinata, Roxb.; 2. H. pinnata, Roxb. 



1. Hardwickia binata, Roxb. V em. Arijan, Hind., Mar. ; Kamra, karachi, 

 Kan. ; Acha, Tam. ; Yepi, naryepi, yapa, Tel. 



A moderate-sized to large tree, leafless for a short time or nearly evergreen, 

 with graceful drooping slender branchlets and greyish green coriaceous bi- 

 foliate leaves, the leaflets 1-2-5 in. by 0-5-1-2 in. ; crown conical in early life, 

 becoming broader afterwards. Bark of saplings almost silvery white and 

 smooth, gradually changing as the tree gets older to dark grey and rough with 

 irregular vertical cracks, 0-5-1 in. thick, exfoliating in narrow flakes. In 

 isolated situations or on poor shallow soils the tree tends to branch low down 

 and produce a short bole, but when grown in a fairly crowded crop on favour- 

 able soil it produces a long straight cylindrical bole with an elevated crown. 



The dimensions vary greatly according to locality. On trap formations, 

 characterized by a shallow and somewhat stiff soil, the tree rarely attains 

 a height of 60 ft. and often does not reach a height of more than 30-40 ft. 

 with a maximum girth of 3 ft. On deeper sandy soil overlying sandstone, 

 granite, and other formations it may attain a height of 80-100 ft. and a girth 

 of 6-10 ft., with a clean cylindrical bole 40-50 ft. in length. Haines says 

 that in the Kymore hills near the Sone river it reaches a height of 120 ft. 

 Mr. E. D. M. Hooper records a tree with a large gnarled trunk 15 ft. in girth 

 in the Raja's garden at Sandur, Bellary district, Madras. Almost everywhere 

 the trees have been much mutilated by pollarding for the sake of fodder, 

 manure, or bast fibre, and in most localities the larger trees are old pollards. 

 LaT-ge trees are very frequently hollow, owing, it is generally held, to former 

 damage by fire and mutilation, and possibly also to the repeated dying back 

 in the seedling stage producing a centre of infection for subsequent decay. 



The wood is perhaps the hardest and heaviest in India, the weight 

 averaging 82 lb. per cubic foot. The sapwood is small and white, the heart- 

 wood dark reddish brown streaked with purple, close grained, very durable, 

 used for bridge and house construction, agricultural implements, carts, wheel- 

 work, &c. The bast yields a strong fibre largely employed for ropes, and the 

 branches are much lopped for manure and cattle-fodder. 



