640 XXXVI. SAPOTACEAE 



scorchino' sun does not readily germinate, and if it does the tender seedling 

 cannot stand the exposure, or it cannot force its roots through the tufts of 

 dense urry grass which spring up on exposed patches. Moreover, the seed 

 being edible and lying, as it does, in an exposed place, is soon carried away 

 by animals ; it is also removed by villagers in large quantities from the seed- 

 bearers. 



' As mentioned above, palu saplings are by no means uncommon in scrub 

 forests ; it follows that the young plant requires some low shelter, and this 

 is obtained in high forest by sparing the undergrowth which protects the soil 

 and spares the fruit. Perhaps the best method of carrying on seed fellings 

 is to girdle the trees adjoining seed-bearers.' 



Rate of growth. In Ceylon Mr. Broun estimates from sample plot 

 statistics, which he admits to be scanty and tentative, that a girth of 6 ft. is 

 attained in about 130 years. Owing to the compact and uniform nature of 

 the wood the incremental rings are indistinguishable. 



3. Mimusops littoralis, Kurz. Andaman bullet-wood. Vern. Katpali, 

 Burm. ; Mohwa (in the Andamans). 



A large evergreen tree with leaves crowded towards the ends of the thick 

 branchlets. Bark thin, smooth, blackish brown. Wood red, very hard, 

 durable, used for bridge-construction and house-posts. Common along the 

 coasts of the Andamans, Cocos, and Nicobar islands ; also in upper Tenasserim 

 (Kurz). In the Andamans this is a common tree in the mixed forests of the 

 littoral fringe, in association with Calophyllum Inophyllum, Afzelia bijuga, 

 Thespesia populnea, Terminalia Catappa, Heritiera littoralis, Pongamia glabra, 

 and others. This type of forest occurs on raised beaches on deposits of sea- 

 sand. Mimusops littoralis sometimes predominates, especially where the sand 

 deposit is deep, forming at times almost a pure fringe. It often forms a pro- 

 tective belt against the force of the south-west monsoon, which it possesses 

 good power of withstanding. 



2. BASSIA, Linn. 



Of the five Indian species of Bassia the best known and most widely 

 distributed is B. latifolia, Roxb., while in southern India this species is replaced 

 by B. longifolia, Linn., an important tree v/ithin its region. Both these trees 

 are valuable on account of their flowers, the fleshy corollas of which are eaten 

 or distilled into spirit, and their seeds, which yield oil. B. butyracea, Roxb., 

 the seeds of which yield a vegetable butter, is a species met with in the sub- 

 Himalayan tract and outer hills. The oily seeds of the trees of this genus 

 have a high percentage of fertility when fresh, but lose their vitality if kept 

 for any time. 



Species 1 . B. latifolia. Roxb. ; 2. B. longifolia, Linn. ; 3. B. butyracea. 

 Roxb. 



\. Bassia latifolia, Roxb., including B. villosa. Wall. Vern. Mohira, 

 Hind. ; Ippi, Tel. ; Kat illipi. Tarn. 



A large deciduous tree, usually with a short bole, spreading branches, and 

 a large roimded crown. Bark grey, with vertical cracks. 



This is one of the most important forest trees of India, its importance 

 being due mainly to the fleshy corollas of its flowers, which are eaten raw or 



