MIMUSOPS 639 



for food. Under unfavourable conditions, for example in very dry situations, 

 the tree becomes stunted and even shrub-like. 



Distribution and habitat. In dry forests of the Deccan, Circars, Orissa, 

 and the Carnatic, extending north to the sandstone of the Pachmarhi hills and 

 west to Khandesh and Guzerat. In the Central Provinces Haines ^ says it is 

 common along sandy nalas in North and South Chanda, occurs in the Sirpur 

 range, Raipur, and does well also in lime soils, being common on marl in the 

 Sattara forest. 



In the Indian Peninsula it is one of the principal trees of the dry ever- 

 green forests of the Carnatic and surrounding country, especially on sandstone 

 and laterite. In its natural habitat in India the absolute maximum shade 

 temperature varies from 104 to 115 F., the absolute minimum from 32 to 

 58 P., and the normal rainfall from 25 to 60 in. 



It is often cultivated for ornament and for the sake of its fruit. 



In Ceylon the tree is of more importance than it is in India. Mr. A. F. 

 Broun,^ describing its occurrence and habit in that island, mentions that it 

 is one of the most characteristic and important trees of the dry zone, occurring 

 in the northern half and along the eastern and south-eastern fringes of the 

 island at low elevations in situations having a rainfall of not much over 50 in. 

 It does not occur in the wet zone. In favourable localities it attains a height 

 of 100 ft. with a bole of 40 to 50 ft., but usually not more than 30 ft., and 

 a girth up to 14 or 15 ft. The most favoiu-able soil is a deep sandy loam, but 

 it is found on almost pure sand, on gravel, clayey loam, and soil overlying 

 limestone. On the poor soils of the arid zone it degenerates into a small tree. 

 Among its chief companions in Ceylon are Diospyros Ebenum, D. ovalifolia, 

 CJiloroxylon Swietenia, Berrya Ammonilla, Alseodaphne semecarpifolia, and 

 NepheliuTn Longana. 



Flowering and fruiting. The white or pale yellow flowers appear 

 from November to January and the fruits ripen from April to July. The fruit 

 is an ovoid or ellipsoidal berry, 0-5-0-6 in. long, smooth and red when ripe, 

 containing one reddish brown shining seed, rarely two seeds. Mr. Broun 

 states that in Ceylon good seed-years, which are generally dry years, are very 

 irregular. 



Silvicultural characters and natural reproduction. Mr. Broun 

 makes the following interesting observations regarding this tree in Ceylon : 

 ' It is a curious fact that trees of the lower girth-classes are generally com- 

 paratively rare in high forests, but are found more abundantly in old chenas 

 (regrowth after temporary cultivation). Enumeration survey figures . . . 

 indicate that the tree does not reproduce itself easily under a dense leaf- 

 canopy. The very appearance of the tree with its large crown, which it spreads 

 out above its companions, shows that it Hkes to have light in large doses. 

 It is therefore apparent that the seed fellings require to be made heavy. 

 I have noticed that felhngs in palu forests are not generally followed by the 

 appearance of a seedling crop of that species, although seed-bearers were 

 adjoining the gaps made. This is probably partly due to the great irregularity 

 of the good seed-years, which are generally dry years, but I attribute it also 

 to the following causes. The rainfall being slight, the seed exposed to the 

 ^ Central Provinces List - Ind. Forester, xxvi (1900), p. 3G9. 



