522 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1892. 



originally a native of China, it tlirives well in our climate, flowering abundantly 

 before and after the rains. Randia ulir/inosa (Peudhru) is another of our 

 familiar fragrant foresters . Blossoming in the hot weather, just before the 

 foliage is out, the pure white silver-shaped flowers of this hardy tree, set ofl" 

 with bold yellow anthers peeping over the white frills of hair guarding the 

 throat of their tubes, produce an effect which is exceedingly striking as they, 

 open their buds in the early hours of the morning. Among the Sapotacece- 

 Achrns Sapota, known as the Chiku — a West Indian exotic which furnishes us 

 with a deliciously luscious fruit — has a flower not unlike that of the Bakul in 

 appearance ; biTt the noteworthy point about it is that it has the odour of the 

 Kashew Nut oil. The flower of Bakul (xTfimasops E/era^i), popularly known as 

 Ovale, is highly prized for its lasting fragrance by Hindu ladies, who use 

 garlands of its deciduous corollas in their hair. White, when fresh, the corolla 

 soon turns brown and crisp, and is extremely loth to part with its delicious 

 honey-odoar. It has literally to rot before the very last atom of its fragrance 

 departs from it- I know of no Indian flower which is so proudly and justly 

 tenacious of its dehcious odour. Thirty years ago. Pears, the pre-eminent soap 

 maker, used to manufacture a scent named " Wood-violets," which always used 

 to remind me of the Bakul of my native land. He has years since ceased to 

 manufacture such a scent, much to my regret. I hope some lover of scents 

 preserves this gift so richly promised to mankind in the Bakul by immorta- 

 lizing it in a spirituous extract of charming delicacy. Among the Composites 

 we have the Sphcermthus Indicus and several species of Blumea (Bhamburda), 

 and Artemisia (Downa) which produce the characteristic flowers, indicative of 

 their order, and partake of the strong smell so common to each genus. The 

 tender tops and leaves of the last genus are worn by ladies in their hair. Nor 

 is the Chrysanthemum with its varied hues of white, yellow, and saffron denied 

 this high honour of being a flower of domestic importance. The Shewanti, as 

 it is called, is essentially a cold weather plant— a regular visitor of Christmas, 

 as in the colder climate of Europe. 



Among the Oleacece, the Jasmines are the most noted in this country and 

 largely represented. They are as follows (all highly scented) : — 



1 Jasmimm Sambac (Mogra). Besides the ordinary double petalled creep- 

 ing Mogra, there are three other distinct varieties — (a) The compound 

 flower, known as Batt mogra; (&) the Madan-ban (Cupid's arrow), 

 bearing a highly fragrant bold flower, the petals of which are often over 

 an inch and-a-half in length; (c) the Kasturi mogra, a smaller flowered 

 variety. The odour is delicate and partaking of the smell of the 

 musk faintly ; {d) there is also the Poona variety known as Motya 

 mogra . 



2 Jasminum grandifiorum (Chambeli). This is a pretty flower dehcately 

 marked pinkish or light crimson on the back of the petals. 



3 Jasminum officinale (Saj'ali). 



4 Jasminum amiculatum (Jooi). 



