ALBIZZIA 473 



seedling '. Brandis says that trees in the Punjab reach a girth of 2 ft. 9 in. 

 in twelve years and 4 ft. 6 in. in thirty years, and that trees seventeen years old 

 at Sukkur in Sind reached a girth of 5 to 6 ft. These figures probably refer 

 to trees grown in more or less open positions ; in the forest the growth in 

 girth would probably be slower. 



2. Albizzia stipulata, Boivin. Vern. Ohi, Pb. ; Siran, Hind. ; Chakua, 

 Beng. ; Sau, Ass. ; Kalbage, Kan. ; Laeli, Mar. ; Konda chigara, Tel. ; Pili 

 vagai, Tarn. ; Bonmeza, Burm. (Fig. 179.) 



A large deciduous tree with feathery foliage and large stipules. The 

 crown is often spreading and flat-topped. Bark dark grey, fairly smooth, 

 with occasional prominent horizontal wrinkles and furrows and numerous 

 small vertical wrinkles. Sapwood large, white ; heartwood brown, soft, not 

 very durable, used for building, furniture, domestic utensils, &c. It is used 

 as a shade tree in tea plantations in Assam and the Bengal Duars. 



Distribution and habitat. Throughout the sub-Himalayan tract and 

 Himalayan valleys up to 4,000 ft.. Bengal, Assam, Chota Nagpur, the moist er 

 parts of the Indian Peninsula, Andamans, Nicobars, Burma, Ceylon, and the 

 Malay Peninsula. 



The tree occurs chiefly in moist localities. It is common in the Kangra 

 valley. In the sub-Himalayan tract and outer valleys it often occurs in swampy 

 ground and moist low-lying savannahs. In the Peninsula it is found only in 

 the moister regions, both on the west coast and in southern India. Bourdillon 

 says it is very common in the lower open and deciduous forests of Travancore, 

 ascending the hills to 3,000 ft. It occurs in the evergreen sholas of North 

 Coimbatore (C. E. C. Fischer). Mr. F. H. Todd mentions it as one of the 

 species in the semi-evergreen and deciduous forests of the North Andaman.^ 

 In Burma it is common in the tropical forests, in mixed forests both of moist 

 and of dry types, and extends into the hill forests. Kurz ^ mentions it as one 

 of the lofty deciduous trees towering above the stratum of evergreen trees in 

 closed tropical forests. He also gives it as one of the trees of the pine {Pinus 

 Klmsya) forests of the hills, with Daphnidiuni, Aperula, Helicia, Engelhardtia , 

 Dillenia aurea, Ternstroemia japonica, &c., and of the lower drier hill forests, 

 of a rather stunted type, occupying exposed ridges at 3,000 to 4,000 ft. and 

 upwards, associated with Ternstroemia japonica, Schima Noronhae, Turpinia 

 nepalensis, Bucklandia populnea, Dillenia. aurea, Symplocos, laurels, &c. 



In its natural habitat the absolute maximum shade temperature varies 

 from 95 to 110 F., the absolute minimum from 30 to 65 F., and the normal 

 rainfall from 45 to 200 in. or more. 



Leaf-shedding, flowering, and fruiting. Kurz ^ and Haines * say 

 the tree is evergreen. In northern India it is deciduous, the leaves commencing 

 to fall about January, shrivelling up and falling by single leaflets or by whole 

 pinnae. The trees are usually leafless in February-March, the new leaves 

 appearing in March or early April. 



The masses of fragrant feathery yellowish white flowers appear from 

 April to June amongst the rich green of the new foliage, and the tree is then 



'^ Draft Working Plan for the Forests of the North Andaman, 1906. 



2 PreUminary Forest Report of Pegu, 1875. " For. Flora Br. Burma. 



* For. Flora Chota Nagpur. 



