364 XXIII. LEGUMINOSAE 



A large usually evergreen tree attaining a height of 100 ft. and a girth 

 of 15 ft. or more, with a spreading rounded crown and pinnate leaves with 

 ten to twenty pairs of leaflets about 0-5 in. long. Bark dark grey, moderately 

 thick, deeply cracked. Wood hard and close grained, used for rice-pounders, 

 oil and sugar mills, tools, furniture, and turnery. The tamarind is not a forest 

 tree, but is largely planted for shade and ornament and for the sake of its 

 pods, which are used as an astringent and aperient and for making condiments. 

 It is an excellent avenue tree, being always in leaf and having a spreading 

 crown. Mr. A. E. Wild records a tree 25 ft. 6 in. in girth at Kara, Gaya. 



Distribution and habitat. Said to be indigenous in Abj^ssinia and 

 central Africa. Largely planted in India along roads and avenues, and in 

 and around villages ; frequently run wild. Tamarind groves in the forest 

 often mark the sites of deserted villages. It thrives only in the warmer parts 

 of India, and though planted as far north as the Punjab it does not ripen its 

 fruits, nor does it flourish. In Burma it is one of the commonest of village 

 trees in the dry zone. 



Leaf-shedding, flowering, and fruiting. The tree is never leafless 

 except in very dry localities, where it is sometimes leafless for a short time 

 in the hot season. The new leaves appear in March-April. The small yellow 

 and red variegated flowers appear from April to June (also in October, Haines), 

 and the pods ripen from February to April. The pods are brown, 3-6 in. 

 long, 0-5 in. thick, with a brittle epicarp, filled with a dark brown fibrous 

 acid pulp containing three to ten brown smooth compressed seeds (Eig. 143, a). 

 The pods are readily eaten by monkeys, which are instrumental in scattering 

 the seeds. The germinative power of the seed is fairly high (average 66 per 

 cent, in tests at Dehra Dun, where conditions are not favourable). 



Germination (Fig. 143, b-e). Epigeous. The radicle emerges from one 

 end of the seed and descends rapidly. The hypocotyl elongates, arching 

 slightly, and raises above ground the cotyledons enclosed in the testa. The 

 latter falls to the ground when the cotyledons expand. 



The seedling (Fig. 143), 



Roots : primary root long, wiry, flexuose : lateral roots numerous, 

 moderately long, fibrous, distributed down main root. Hypocotyl distinct 

 from and thicker than root, 1 5-3-5 in. long, slightly compressed, finely tomen- 

 tose. Cotyledons sessile, 0-5-0-7 in. by 0-35-0-5 in., plano-convex, thick, 

 fleshy, unequally ovate, orbicular or obovate, apex rounded, base projecting 

 about 0-1 in. behind point of insertion. Stem erect, terete or slightly com- 

 pressed, wiry, tomentose ; internodes 0-3-1 in. long. Leaves paripinnate, 

 first pair opposite, subsequent leaves alternate. Stipules 0-2-0-3 in. long, 

 falcate acuminate, pubescent. Rachis 1-1-3 in. long, pubescent, terminating 

 in a bristle. Leaflets 6-10 pairs, opposite, sub-sessile, 0-4-0-9 in. by 0-15- 

 0-3 in., linear oblong or rhomboidal, obtuse or slightly emarginate, entire, 

 pubescent, glaucous beneath, darker above. 



The early development of the seedling is fairly rapid under favourable 

 conditions, a height of 2 ft. or more in the first season and 4 ft. or more in 

 the second season being attainable with regular weeding and watering. A long 

 taproot is developed early ; this may attain a length of over 1 ft. within two 

 months of germination. Weeds greatly hinder the growth of the seedling, 

 which responds in a marked degree to weeding. The young plant grows best 



