ACACIA 445 



heads 0-25 in. in diameter, arranged in large terminal panicles, appear from 

 August to November (sometimes May, according to Brandis) ; the tree is 

 a conspicuous sight when in blossom. The pods, 4-8 in. long by 0-2-0-35 in. 

 broad, flat, shghtly curved, ripen from April to June (or earlier?). The pods 

 are 10- to 20-seeded, and are scarcely dehiscent. The seeds (Fig. 166, a) are 

 irregularly elliptical or rhomboidal, 0-2-0-25 in. by 0-15-0-2 in., dark brown, 

 smooth, shining, compressed, with a hard testa : about 200 weigh 1 oz. 

 The seed germinates readily with moisture and warmth, and does not require 

 any special preparation. 



Germination (Fig. 166, h-e). Epigeous. The radicle emerges, the 

 hypocotyl elongating with slight arching and carrying the cotyledons above 

 ground ; the testa usually remains partially enclosing the cotyledons until 

 they expand, when it falls to the ground. 



The seedling (Fig. 166). 



Roots : primary root long, terete, tapering, wiry, white turning yellowish 

 brown : lateral roots fairly numerous, fine, fibrous : nodules present. Hypo- 

 cotyl distinct from root, 0-4-1 -5 in. long, terete, tapering slightly upwards, 

 expanded in a ring at the base, white turning green, glabrous. Cotyledons : 

 petiole 0-1 in. long or less, glabrous : lamina 0-3-0-4 in. by 0-25-0-35 in., 

 plano-convex, somewhat fleshy, ovate obovate or oblong, apex rounded, base 

 broadly sagittate, entire, glabrous, bright green above, paler beneath. Stem 

 erect, somewhat zigzag at the nodes, wiry, glabrous, green turning brown ; 

 internodes 0-3-1-2 in. long. Leaves alternate. Stipular spines 0-1-0-2 in. long. 

 First leaf once paripinnate, rachis 0-5-0-7 in. long, terminating in a fine bristle, 

 leaflets 4-8, usually six pairs, sub-sessile, 0-1-0-25 in. by 0-1 in. or less, obliquely 

 oblong, entire, glabrous, mucronate ; next six or more leaves bipinnate with 

 one pair of pinnae and 5-15 leaflets on each pinna ; subsequent leaves with 

 two pairs, followed in the second season by leaves with three or four pairs of 

 pinnae. 



In loose fertile soil the growth of the seedling is fairly rapid, a height of 

 2 ft. or more being attained by the end of the first season. Under usual natural 

 conditions in poor dry soil, however, the young plant grows slowly. A long 

 taproot is developed early, and may reach a length of 1 ft. in the first month. 

 Loose deep soil is very favourable to its development, and stiff clay is 

 prejudicial. The seedling is sensitive to suppression by weeds : it is also very 

 tender to frost, but has good power of recovery when killed back. SeedHngs 

 raised at Dehra Dun ceased growing by November-December, and new growth 

 commenced in February-March. 



SiLVicuLTURAL CHARACTERS. Acttcia hucopMoea is a decided light- 

 demander. It stands drought well, and was not affected by the abnormal 

 drought of 1899-1900 in the Indian Peninsula. Though young seedlings are 

 sensitive to frost the tree itself is frost-hardy within its habitat : in the severe 

 frost of 1910-11 in the Central Provinces it proved to be one of the hardiest 

 of the indigenous trees. It suffers from browsing, goats in particular being 

 very partial to it. It coppices well and produces root-suckers. 



Artificial reproduction. Experiments at Dehra Dun showed that 

 direct sowing is more successful than transplanting. Young seedlings were 

 found to transplant fairly well early in the first rainy season, but the trans- 

 planting checked their growth. Line sowings were found to be the most 

 successful, as it is necessary to weed regularly, and this can be done most 



