MILLINGTONIA 693 



plantation purposes, though it does not appear to have been tried as such. 

 In October-November (northern India) it is covered with drooping masses of 

 very fragrant white to pale pink flowers with long slender corolla-tubes, which 

 perfume the air around. The fruit, a flat linear capsule, about 1 ft. long 

 with numerous delicately winged seeds, ripens towards the end of the hot 

 season ; seeds are rarely produced in northern India. 



The tree is decidedly hardy, and is not particular as to soil ; although it 

 grows best in a moist climate it does fairly well in dry situations, growing 

 well in Lahore Cantonment without irrigation, which not many trees are capable 

 of doing. It is, however, brittle and shallow-rooted, and is liable to be broken 

 or uprooted by strong winds. It has a tendency to send up root-suckers in 

 great profusion, which is a disadvantage in gardens. It is easily raised from 

 seed when obtainable, from cuttings put down in the spring, or from root- 

 suckers dug up and transplanted during the rainy season. Seed should be 

 sown in the nursery as soon as it ripens, towards the end of the hot season, 

 and the seedlings, which bear transplanting well, should be planted out a year 

 later at the beginning of the rainy season. 



The growth is fast. Gamble's specimens gave four to five rings per inch 

 of radius, representing a mean annual girth increment of 1-26 to 1-57 in. 



4. TECOMA, Juss. 



Tecoma undulata, G. Don. Syn. Tecomella undulata, Seem. Vern. 

 Lahura, Punj. ; Lokero, Sind ; Raktarohida, Mar. ; Rori, Bal. 



A shrub or small tree, nearly evergreen, with simple grey leaves and large 

 yellow to orange flowers, which appear from January to April, when the tree 

 is a very handsome sight. The fruit, a curved capsule 6-8 in. long, ripens 

 from May to July. The wood is yellowish brown, mottled, handsome, highly 

 prized for furniture, carving, and agricultural implements (Brandis). 



This is a tree of the driest regions of India, namely the Suliman and Salt 

 Ranges, Sind, Baluchistan, trans-Indus, Punjab, ascending to 4,000 ft. in the 

 outer Himalaya, Rajputana, Guzerat, and Khandesh. It is sometimes planted 

 in gardens. It coppices fairly well, and is easily grown from seed or cuttings. 

 It is readily browsed by cattle. It is drought-hardy and very resistant to fire. 

 It would be a useful species for afforesting dry tracts. 



ORDER XLV. ACANTHACEAE 



This order, consisting chiefly of herbaceous plants, contains some under- 

 growth shrubs and climbers of indirect importance in Indian forestry. 



Genera 1. Acanthus, Linn.; 2. Adhatoda, Nees ; 3. Phlogacanthus, 

 Nees ; 4. Strobilanthes, B1. 



L ACANTHUS, Linn. 



Acanthus ilicifolius, Linn. 



A spinescent shrub of the mangrove forests where it sometimes forms 

 a dense undergrowth troublesome in wood-cutting operations. 



