BAUHINIA 383 



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

 he old leaves fall during the hot season and the new bright green foliage 

 ippears in May and June, at which time the trees are conspicuous. The 

 lowers appear from September to November, and the trees are then covered 

 dth masses of yellowish white blossom. The pods form rapidly, becoming 

 b rich crimson colour before ripening ; the masses of crimson pods hanging 

 imongst the rich green foliage give the trees a particularly handsome appear- 

 ance from January onwards. The pods are 4-7 in. by 1-2-1 -7 in., flat and 

 lard ; they dehisce on the tree in June (outer Himalaya), the valves curling 

 pirally and scattering the seeds. The seeds are dark brown, smooth, flat, 

 ibout 0-5 in. in diameter. ' * 



SiLVicuLTURAL CHARACTERS. The silviculture of this tree has not yet 

 )een studied in detail. One particular requirement is a demand for perfect 

 Irainage. Otherwise its demands do not appear to be exacting, as it can 

 frow on poor stony ground where many species could not survive. 



Natural reproduction. The seeds, scattered towards the end of the 

 lot season, germinate early in the rains, and, as in the case of other bauhinias, 

 he establishment of the seedling appears to depend largely on the seed becom- 

 ng covered with earth and debris, while new soil formed by landslips and 

 ;rosion is very favourable to germination, and germinating seeds are some- 

 imes found in quantity on such ground during the rains. These conditions 

 jommonly obtain on the hilly ground frequented by the tree, the flat seed 

 ending itself to being covered with the loose earth washed down in the rains ; 

 ;his may to some extent account for the gregariousness of the species in the 

 Duter Himalaya. 



Rate of growth. Reliable statistics are wanting as regards the rate of 

 growth of seedling trees. A cross-section 3 ft. 3 in. in girth in the silvicultural 

 nuseum at Dehra Dun had 47 rings, giving a mean annual girth increment 

 Df 0-83 in. 



Measurements made in 1916 in the Saitba coppice coupes, Kolhan, Chota 

 S[agpur, show the following average rate of growth of coppice of Bauhinia 

 'etusa and sal respectively in a somewhat poor locality : 



Bauhinia retusa : rate of growth of coppice, Saitba. 



Mean girth at 4J ft. from ground. 



Bauhinia retusa. Sal. 



in. in. 

 2-5 40 



4-3 6-5 



5-7 8-6 



70 10-3 



80 11-5 



90 12-6 



100 13-6 



* 



4. Bauhinia purpurea, Linn. Vern. Khairwdl, kardr, kolidr, kanidr, 

 Hind. ; Atmatti, Mar. ; Sarul, haswaimpacla, kanchivdla, Kan. ; Kanclmn, 

 Pel. ; MaJmhlegani, Burm. 



A moderate-sized evergreen tree with a bushy crown ; leaves 3-6 in. long, 

 somewhat longer than broad, cleft about half-way down. Bark dark grey or 



