TECTONA 769 



where the rainfall varies from 23 to 45 inches. It is capable of growing on 

 poor stony soil, and is often associated with Terminalia Oliveri, Acacia Catechu, 

 A. leucophloea, Diospyros burmanica, and other species of the dry open scrub 

 forests of Burma. The tree is leafless for a time during the hot season. The 

 dense tomentose corymbose panicles of small pale blue or whitish flowers 

 appear from June to August, and the fruits ripen in the following cold or hot 

 season ; the fruit is a small nut tightly enclosed in the persistent tomentose 

 calyx. The tree is a light -demander, coppices well, and is drought resistant. 

 Frost does not occur in its habitat. 



2. GMELINA, Linn. 



Omelina arborea, Linn. Vern. GumJiar, sewan, Hind. ; Gomari, Ass. ; 

 Shivan, Mar. ; Shivani, Kan. : Gumadi, Tarn. ; Yemane, Burm. 



A moderate -sized to large deciduous tree with opposite, broadly ovate, 

 acuminate, usually cordate leaves, glaucous beneath, or stellately hairy or 

 tomentose beneath in one variety. Bark light grey, smooth, corky, inside 

 yellow, rapidly turning brown on exposure, exfoliating in patches when old 

 and exposing smooth paler coloured bark beneath. Wood yellowish or 

 greyish white, even-grained, soft, light, and strong, seasons well without 

 warping and cracking, and is very useful for planking, panelling, carriages, 

 furniture, boxes, and carpentry of all kinds. It has been pronounced very good 

 for match manufacture. In view of the good quaUty of its wood and of its 

 rapid growth the tree is well worth more attention for plantation purposes. 

 Under the most favourable conditions it attains a height of 100 ft. or more 

 and a girth of 15 ft. 



Distribution and habitat. The tree is distributed generally throughout 

 the greater part of India and Burma, but is usually scattered ; it is commoner 

 in Burma than elsewhere. It is found in the moist region of Ceylon. It 

 reaches its largest dimensions in the mixed forests of moist regions, as in 

 Burma, the eastern sub-Himalayan tract, Assam, and elsewhere, but extends 

 into comparatively dry regions, as in Central India. Although usually found 

 in mixed deciduous forest, it is occasionally found in evergreen forest, and is 

 not uncommon in sal forest. In the western Himalaya it ascends the outer 

 hiUs and valleys to 4,000 ft., where it may occasionally be seen in stunted 

 form even in somewhat dry situations. Its choice of locality is wide, but it 

 shows a preference for moist fertile valleys ; it does not thrive where the 

 drainage is bad, while on dry sandy or otherwise poor soil it remains stunted, 

 and is apt to assume little more than a shrubby form owing to its being 

 repeatedly killed back by drought. 



In its natural habitat the absolute maximum shade temperature varies 

 from under 100 to 118 F., the absolute minimum from 30 to over 60 F., 

 and the normal rainfall from 30 to 180 in. or more. 



Leaf-shedding, flowering, and fruiting. The leaves fall as a rule 

 about January-February, the new leaves appearing in March- April. The 

 panicles of flowers appear from February to April, when the tree is more or 

 less leafless, or with the young leaves, and the irregular tubular corollas, 

 about 1 in. long, dull chestnut, with a yellow lip and throat, quickly fall from 

 the trees and cover the ground in their neighbourhood. The fruits ripen from 



2307.2 p f 



