BENTEAK OR NANA WOOD. 



Lagerstrcemia lanceolata, Wall. 



Natural Order Lythracese. 



1. General Distribution. 



This valuable tree is only found over a small part of the forest area 

 of India, being confined to the southern and central parts of Bombay 

 and the southern and western parts of Madras, and to Mysore. It is not 

 recorded from Hyderabad or the Northern districts of Madras, and only 

 scattered trees are found in Kolaba and Surat on the West Coast. In 

 Satara and Baroda it does not occur and in East Khandesh it is very rare, 

 In Coorg it is fairly plentiful and large in deciduous forests. 



2. Locality and Habit. 



The tree occurs in mixed deciduous forests up to about 4,000 feet above 

 sea- level and grows fast in moist localities, forming as much as 10 per 

 cent, of the stock. It grows best as a rule between 1,000 and 3,000 feet 

 above sea-level, but in South Malabar it is reported to be plentiful 

 between 100 and 500 feet. 



It is a tall straight tree with rather an open crown of small leaves, 

 the small white flowers appearing in the dry season at the end of the 

 branchlets in large panicles. The bark is smooth and white and peels 

 off in papery flakes. 



" Is readily distinguishable in the forest from other trees by the 

 peculiar colour and smoothness of its bark. Young Benteak also stands 

 out very conspicuously from the surrounding growth by the white under- 

 surface of the leaves showing when ruffled by the wind." (Notes on 

 Timber Trees in South Ganara F. Foulkes.) 



3. Description, Properties and Uses of Timber. 



The heartwood is red or reddish-brown of very uniform appearance 

 on. a vertical section, moderately hard and close-grained. The annual 

 rings may usually be distinguished, the spring wood being marked by 



