Vol. XI, No. 1.] The Defoliation of some Madras Trees. 25. 
[N.S.] 
Morinda tinctoria, Thespesia populnea, Melia Azadirachta, 
Erythrina indica, Tamarindus indica, Odina Wodter. 
The following trees appear to withstand the effect of the 
breeze better :— 
_Calophylium inophyllum, Plumeria alba, Bignonia megapo- 
ica 
The trees begin to put forth new leaves towards the end of 
December or the beginning of January, when the force of the 
sea-breeze abates and the temperature begins to rise. 
Summary. 
(1) The trees spend the dry season in a leafy condition, 
unlike cold country trees in winter and monsoon forest trees in 
summer. This is an adaptation to carry on the leaf functions 
with undiminished vigour with the help of fresh leaves pro- 
duced after shedding the old ones, because young leaves do 
better work than old ones 
(2) The old leaves are shed, because the new buds open 
out, and, as a result of correlation, draw away the sap current 
from the old leaves. The accumulation of excreta may also be 
a cause of the shedding of old leaves. 
(3) Considerable variation is seen in respect to the interval 
between the shedding of the old leaves and the growth of the 
new ones. 
(4) Leaves may also be shed owing to continued wet 
most of the trees do so in the dry season. The former shed 
their leaves from the bottom upwards, while the latter from 
the top downwards. 
(6) The Odina group of trees possess special arrangements 
to enable them to remain leafless for a long time, viz. soft 
wood, fleshy twigs and a smooth green bark. 
(7) Ficus nitida shows that increased activity of the buds 
may have something to do with the leaf-fall and formation of 
new leaves. The witches’ brooms are quite full of new leaves 
when the tree itself is quite bare. 
(8) Owing to the action of the sea breeze the trees along 
