678 XLIII. BOR AGIN ACE AE 



bored into and the seed destroyed by insects. It retains its vitality to some 

 extent if kept for a year. 



Germination (Fig. 258, b-f). Epigeoiis, resembling that of Tectona grandis 

 and Gmelina arbor ea. The fruit-stone opens by the splitting off of one or two 

 valves on the side, according to the number of cells and seeds, and one or 

 two seecUings may appear from one stone. The radicle emerges through the 

 crack thus formed, and the hypocotyl elongates with or without arching, 

 raising above ground the very characteristic fan-like plicate cotyledons, which 

 quickly unfold ; the fragments of the fruit-stone remain on or under the 

 ground. 



The SEEDLiNGj(Fig. 258). 



Roots : primary root moderately long, becoming thick and tough in 

 second season, terete, tapering : lateral roots numerous, moderately long, 

 fibrous. Hypocotyl distinct from root, 0-4-0-9 in. long, terete or slightly com- 

 pressed, cylindrical or tapering slightly upwards, green, pubescent. Coty- 

 ledons : petiole 0-1-0-2 in. long, flattened above, pubescent : lamina 0-4-0-6 in. 

 by 0-6-1 in., foliaceous, reniform or sub-orbicular, broader than long, crenate, 

 green, glabrous, palmately 5-veined, the veins prominently branched in radiate 

 form, the branches terminating in the hollows between the crenatures, plicate 

 along the veins, the folds persisting in fan-like form when the cotyledons 

 expand. Stem erect, terete, pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate : 

 petiole up to 0-2 in. long : lamina 0-8-5 in. by 0-4-4 in., elliptical or obovate, 

 acute, mucronate, base acute, serrate, glabrous or sometimes slightly pubescent 

 near the base on the under surface. 



The growth of the seedhng during the first season is slow, a height of 

 2-4 in. being attained by the end of the season even under favourable con- 

 ditions. In the second season the growth is much faster ; plants raised in 

 the nursery at Dehra Dun and regularly weeded and watered attained a height 

 of 4| ft. by the end of the second season. The young plant has a decidedly 

 branching habit. Regular weeding and watering have a marked effect on 

 development. Young plants are frost-hardy, but if exposed to a hot sun they 

 are apt to die of drought under natural conditions. 



SiLVicuLTURAL GHAHACTERS . The tree stands moderate shade. In some 

 locaUties in which it occurs it stands frost well, but in the Changa Manga 

 plantation it suffers badly. In the abnormal drought of 1907 and 1908 in the 

 forests of Oudh it proved to be decidedly drought-resistant. It coppices and 

 pollards well, and has good power of recovery from injury. 



Natural reproduction. Although the fruit does not ripen until the 

 early part of the rainy season the seeds germinate during the rainy season in 

 which they fall. Many, however, lie ungerminated, and of these a considerable 

 proportion are destroyed by insects, which bore through the fruit-stones and 

 eat the seeds. A certain number lie apparently in good condition until the 

 following rainy season, but whether or not they germinate then has not been 

 determined. As already mentioned, the seeds are disseminated by monkeys 

 and birds, but many fruits fall around the trees ; the fleshy portion soon rots 

 ofl; and germinatmg seedlings, wdth their characteristic plicate cotyledons, may 

 often be found during the rainy season. These seedlings, however, will be 

 found to die off through drought after the rains unless they are in a com- 

 paratively moist and shady situation. 



