TIMBER TREES 173 



Description. — A large evergreen tree, sapwood yellowish- 

 white, sometimes with red streaks, heartwood small, present 

 only in old trees, very durable and difficult to work. Weight, 

 sapwood 62 lb., heartwood 80 lb. 



Chief uses. — Oil and sugar-mills, rice-pounders, mortars, 

 pestles, ploughs, mallets, tool-handles, furniture, house fit- 

 tings, well-construction, cooper's work, tent-pegs, side planks 

 of boats, carts, shafts, axles and naves. 



10. Xylia dolabriformis, Benth. 



- Iromcood. 



Vernacular. — Irul, Tam. ; Irul, Mai. ; Jambe, Kan. ; 

 Kondatangedu, Tel. ; Tangani, Oriya. 



Habitat. — Eastern and Western Ghats in semi-moist 

 forests. 



Description. — A large deciduous tree, remaining small on 

 poor soils. Heartwood reddish-brown, extremely hard, cross- 

 grained, very durable. Weight 60 lb. 



Chief uses. — House building (chiefly posts, beams and 

 scantlings), bridge-construction, piles, telegraph posts, sleep- 

 ers, railway waggon construction, tent-peg^ railway keys, 

 well-construction, boats, dug-outs, carts (all parts), ploughs, 

 harrow-teeth, yokes, oil-presses, shingles, tool-handles. 



11. Acacia arabica, Willd. 



The Babul tree. 



Vernacular. — Karu-velam, Tam. ; Karu-velam, Mai. ; Jali 

 Kan. ; Nalla-tumma, Tel. ; Babulo, Oriya. 



Habitat. — Probably not indigenous in Southern India, but 

 abundantly cultivated and self-sown in tank beds, on bunds, 

 along channels and other similar situations where there is 

 alluvial soil and water not far from the surface. 



Description.— A moderate sized tree, heartwood pink turn- 

 ing reddish-brown on exposure, mottled with darn: streaks, 

 hard, very durable. Weight 54 lb. 



Chief uses. — House buildings (posts, beams, rafters, door 

 and window frames), carts (all parts), solid wheels, boat-build- 

 ing, oars, sugar and oil-presses, rice-pounders, ploughs, 

 harrows, clod-crushers, Persian wheels, well curbs, tool- 

 handles, cooper's work, carving and turning, the best wood 

 for tent-pegs. Excellent fuel. 



By-products — Bark yields tannin and a dye, the pods are 

 used as fodder, the resin yields a fair gum. 



