474 XXIII. LEGUMINOSAE 



particularly handsome. The pods while developing are pale reddish green : 

 they comraence ripening about November-December, and continue hanging 

 in quantity through the leafless season, when they resemble small siris pods 

 on the trees. They commence falling in quantity about March, and continue 

 falling during the hot weather months, being blown to some distance from the 

 trees by the dry winds : a few old empty pods may sometimes be found on 

 the trees as late as September. 



The pods (Fig. 181, a) are 3-5-6 in. long by 0-5-0-8 in. broad, flat, glabrous, 

 light brown, often wrinkled over the seeds, 8- to 12-seeded. The majority of 

 the pods dehisce after falling to the ground, the seed thus being distributed 

 by the wind ; only those which remain late on the tree dehisce before falling. 

 The seeds (Fig. 181, 6) are 0-15-0-3 in. long, flat, ovate or elliptical, greenish 

 brown, smooth ; about 900 weigh 1 oz. Tests at Dehra Dun have show^l that 

 the seed retains its vitality to some extent for at least a year, though the 

 percentage of fertility of seed so kept is less than that of fresh seed. 



Germination (Fig. 181, c-e). Epigeous. After the emergence of the 

 radicle the hypocotyl arches slightly, soon straightening and raising the 

 cotyledons above ground. The testa is usually carried up over the cotyledons, 

 falling with their expansion. 



The seedling (Fig. 181). 



Roots : primary root moderately long and thick, terete, taperuig, ^^ iry, 

 white turning brown : lateral roots numerous, moderately long, fibrous, dis- 

 tributed down main root : nodules present. Hypocotyl distinct from root, 

 0-6-1 -5 in. long, cylindrical or tapering upwards, expanded in a ring at the 

 base, green or pinkish when young, minutely pubescent. Cotyledons sessile or 

 very shortly petiolate, 0-3-0-4 in. by 0-15-0-2 in., elliptical or ovate, plano- 

 convex, or slightly concave beneath, thin, somewhat fleshy, apex rounded, 

 base sagittate, entire, glabrous. Stem erect, slightly zigzag at the nodes, 

 green, minutely pubescent ; internodes 0-2-0-5 in. long. Leaves, first two 

 sub-opposite or alternate, subsequent leaves alternate. Stipules 0-1-0-15 in. 

 by 0-1 in. or less, falcate acuminate, caducous. First leaf usually once pinnate, 

 sometimes bipinnate ; if once pinnate rachis 0-4-0-6 in. long, with about 

 five pairs of leaflets 0-1-0-2 in. by less than 0-1 in., obliquely oblong or falcate, 

 acute, entire, pubescent, glaucous beneath, midrib close to and parallel to 

 one edge ; subsequent leaves bipinnate, first few with one pair*, then a few 

 with two pairs, then three pairs of pinnae, leaflets 4-20 pairs, up to 0-4 by 

 0-15 in., rachis with a gland on the upper side. . 



During the first season the seedling does not show that rapid growtli 

 which is such a marked feature later on. Seedlings raised under natural 

 conditions on unweeded and unwatered ground at Dehra Dun showed the 

 following growth in the first two seasons : 



Under moderate shade. In full sunlight. 



Height at end of 1st season . . . Chiefly 5-7 in. Chiefly 5-8 in. 



Height at end of 2nd season . . . Maximum 4 ft. 1 ft. 3 in.-4 ft. 9 in. 



The seedlings stand moderate shade, but are killed by dense shade. Tliey 

 are capable of struggling well through a moderate growth of weeds and grass, 

 though their development is stimulated by regular weeding as well as watering : 

 seedlings regularly weeded and watered reached a height of 3 ft. by the end 

 of the first season. Weeding, however, has to be carried out from the com- 

 mencement, since if weeds are suddenly removed from over young seedlings 



