GUMHAR. 



Gmelina arborea, Roxb. 



Natural Order Verbenacese. 



1. General Distribution. 



This tree, although occurring over a large part of India, is nowhere 

 plentiful, being more scattered probably than any other forest species of 

 importance. It is most plentiful in Burma, becoming smaller in size 

 and of less importance towards the west and north, so that in the United 

 Provinces, Punjab, Bombay and Central Provinces, it is not reckoned as 

 an important forest tree. Large supplies can only be expected from 

 Burma, and smaller quantities from the Central Provinces and Assam 

 where it attains a height of over 100 feet and a girth of 15 feet. In 

 Ceylon it is fairly plentiful up to 5,000 feet in the moist region and is 

 often cultivated, being known as Et-clemata. It also occurs in the 

 Malayan Peninsula and the Philippine Islands, but is not there regarded 

 as an important tree. 



2. Locality and Habit. 



It occurs throughout deciduous forests from 300 to 3,000 feet, or even 

 4,000 feet occasionally, and exhibits a distinct preference for moist fertile 

 valleys, where it grows under the most favourable circumstances straight 

 and clean with a high rather open crown of medium-sized pointed leaves, 

 and grey smooth bark. It loses its leaves in the hot weather and usually 

 flowers soon after, the new leaves appearing after the flowers. Mr. H. II. 

 Haines notes two varieties, glaucescens in the districts of Chota Nagpur 

 and canescens in the Santal Parganas. 



3- Description, Properties and Uses of Timber. 



The wood is yellowish or white, even-grained, not very hard, light and 

 strong, with a handsome lustre, the annual rings being usually marked 



