EUGENIA 549 



streams with its roots permanently in water. E. Heyneana, Wall., a willow-like 

 shrubby species, grows in the beds of streams, and is often inundated for 

 a considerable period during the rainy season. E. Jamholana, Lam., and others, 

 sometimes grow under similar conditions. Some species, on the other hand, 

 grow in dry types of forest and exhibit xerophytic tendencies. Thus E. Jamho- 

 lana itself is the most characteristic tree of the dwarf evergreen formation on 

 the laterite of the Mahableshwar plateau, Bombay, while the variety caryo- 

 phyllaefolia, Lam., of the same species, is found on dry hills in Chota Nagpur. 

 E. grandis, Wight, occurs on dry ridges in Upper Burma. 



Several species of this genus are rare or local, and on the whole the trees 

 are, with one or two exceptions, not of great importance in Indian forestry. 

 By far the most important generally is E. Jamholana, Lam. In the sal forests 

 of northern India, E. operculata^ Roxb,, is a useful species from a silvicultural 

 point of view. 



Species I. E. Jamholana, Lam.; 2. E. operculata, Roxb.; 3. E. Jamhos, 

 Linn. 



1. Eugenia Jambolana, Lam. Black plum. Yevn. J dman, Hind. ; Jamhul, 

 Mar. ; Nerlu, Kan. ; Naval, Tam. ; Neredu, Tel. ; Thahye, Burm. (Fig. 208.) 

 A large evergreen tree with a dense shady much-branched crown of shining 

 dark green foliage and usually a rather crooked bole. Bark up to 1 in. thick, 

 light to dark grey or brown, fairly smooth, with shallow depressions caused by 

 exfoliation, red inside. Wood moderately hard, fairly durable, used for 

 common building, agricultural implements, well curbs, and other purposes ; 

 an excellent fuel. This is an important forest tree, and is also largely planted 

 on roadsides and in gardens for shade or ornament and for the sake of its 

 edible fruits. It is variable as regards the shape of the leaves and the size and 

 shape of the flowers and the fruits. 



Sometimes it reaches a very large girth : Mr. J. C. McDonnell ^ records 

 one 20 ft. 6 in. in girth by the Saruinsar lake, Jammu. 



Distribution and habitat. Common throughout India and Burma, 

 except in the most arid regions. Also in the Andamans, Ceylon, the Malay 

 Archipelago, and southward to Australia. In the Himalayan valleys it ascends 

 to 4,000 ft. or sometimes more, and in the Nilgiris to 6,000 ft. It is found in 

 a variety of situations, but most typically along streams and in damp and 

 even marshy localities, where it is often gregarious (see Figs. 209, 211). In 

 the Indian Peninsula a variety with narrow leaves is very common on alluvial 

 sand or loam in the beds and along the banks of watercourses which are 

 often dry for several months in the year. The tree is, however, by no means 

 confined to very moist situations. It is a common constituent of the sal 

 forests. It is the commonest species of the stunted evergreen forest on the 

 laterite of the Mahableshwar plateau in the Bombay Presidency, forming 

 roughly 50 per cent, of the stock and associated with ActinodapJme Hookeri, 

 Memecylon edule, Flacourtia Ramontchi, TermiTialia Chehula, Olea dioica, and 

 Canthium didymum. The plateau is exposed, the ground often rocky, and the 

 soil shallow, while the rainfall is heavy (over 200 in.), most of the rain falling 

 in July and August ; the trees seldom grow more than 25 ft. high, and have 

 short thick boles and low flat crowns. 



1 Ind. Forester, xxix (1903), p. 152. 



