BAUHINIA 387 



the lower branches often being still in leaf. The flowers are fragrant and are 

 visited by bees, by whose agency pollination is effected. The pods (Fig. 150, a) 

 form rapidly, ripening in May and June (northern India) : they are 6-12 in. by 

 0-7-1 in., hard and flat, with 10 to 15 seeds, and dehisce for the most part on 

 the tree, scattering the seeds. The seeds (Fig. 150, b) are 0-5-0-75 in. by 

 0-5-0-7 in., nearly circular, flat, brown, with a somewhat coriaceous testa, 

 70-100 weighing 1 oz. ; they germinate readily and show a high percentage 

 of fertility, which is retained to some extent for at least a year. 



Germination (Fig. 150, c-g) as in B. purpurea. 



The seedling (Fig. 150). 



Boots : primary root moderately long and thick, terete, tapering, whitish 

 or light brown : lateral roots moderate in number, fibrous. Hypocotyl distinct 

 from the root, 0- 1-0- 15 in. long, thick, tapering downwards, minutely pubescent 

 or glabrescent, subterranean or at ground-level. Cotyledons sessile or sub- 

 sessile, 0-8-1 in. by 0-6-0-8 in., plano-convex, somewhat fleshy, broadly 

 elliptical or sub-orbicular, usually oblique, apex rounded, base slightly auricu- 

 late or sub-sagittate, entire, yellow or greenish, glabrous. Stem often arched 

 during germination, soon becoming erect, grooved and angular, pubescent ; 

 internodes 0-3-1 -5 in. long. Leaves simple, alternate, the first one or two 

 often small and abortive. Stipules minute. Petiole 0-3-1 in. long, pubescent. 

 Lamina 0-4-0-9 in. by 0-8-1-6 in., broader than long, cleft to about one-quarter 

 to one-third of the length, mucronate, apices of lobes often acute, entu'e, 

 sub-coriaceous, glabrous above, slightly pubescent beneath, palmately 7- or 

 9- veined with a straight midrib between the lobes. 



If weeded and watered the seedling develops rapidly. Nursery-raised 

 plants at Dehra Dun attained a height up to 3 ft. 4 in. in two months from 

 germination, with taproots up to 1 ft. 7 in. long and 0-5 in. thick. Eight 

 nursery-raised seedlings in one plot varied from 3 ft. 7 in. to 7 ft. 10 in. in 

 height by the end of the first season. Under less favourable conditions the 

 growth is considerably less, natural seedlings usually attaining a maximum 

 height of 1 ft. by the end of the first season. The season's growth ceases about 

 November, and new growth commences in February (Dehra Dun). * 



Natural reproduction. The seeds, which are scattered before the 

 beginning of the monsoon, germinate readily when the rains begin, and germ- 

 inating seeds may be found in quantity round the trees. But unless the 

 seed happens to become buried in earth and debris, or is sheltered from the 

 sun, most if not all of the young plants may die off owing to the drying up of 

 the radicle if exposed to the sun, while birds and insects also cause a good 

 deal of mortality by eating off the radicles. The most favourable condition 

 for the establishment of reproduction appears to be the presence of loose 

 porous well-drained soil, in which in the first place the seed has a chance of 

 becoming covered with earth, and in the second place the seedling develops 

 sufficiently rapidly to overcome weed-growth. 



Artificial reproduction. The most successful means of raising the 

 tree artificially is by sowing in lines in which the soil has been well loosened, 

 followed by regular weeding and loosening of the soil. Unless regular watering 

 can be carried out, transplanting is difficult except in the case of small plants 

 during the first rains. The seed should'be sown in May in drills 9-10 in. apart : 

 the young plants usually appear in 4 to 10 days, and may be transplanted 



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