114 LegumiriOSCe. \Saraca„ 



spreading segm., pet. o ; stam. 7 (rarely 8, the uppermost being 

 nearly always suppressed or combined with ov.) inserted on a 

 fleshy lobed ring at mouth of cal.-tube; ov. stalked, occupying 

 the position of the uppermost stam., pubescent, style short ;. 

 pod large, flat, dehiscent, 2- or 3-seeded; seed without endo- 

 sperm. — Sp. 6 ; 4 in Fl. B. Ind. 



S. indica, L. Mant. 98 (1767). Diya-ratmal, Diya-ratam- 

 bala. S. 



Jonesia pinnata, Willd., Moon Cat. 30. Jonesia* Asoka,i Roxb., 

 Thw. Enum. 97. C. P. 653. 



Fl. B. Ind. ii. 271. Wight, Ic. t. 206. Bot. Mag. t. 3018. 



A rather small, much-branched spreading tree with 

 reddish-grey cracked bark ; 1. large, spreading horizontally, 

 rachis 6-9 in., stout, much thickened, corky and flexible at 

 base, stip. large § in., intrapetiolar, ovate, stiff, brown, deciduous, 

 lflts. 8-12 (4-6 pair) distant, the lowest pair close to base, on 

 short, very stout, flexible stalks, 4-9 in. (the middle ones 

 longest) by i|-i|in. wide, linear, tapering to very acute apex, 

 perfectly glabrous, rather stiff, venation conspicuous beneath ; 

 fl. numerous, about 1 in. diam., ped. f in., bracts 2, at summit 

 of ped., small, ovate, looking like a cal., panicles large, sessile,, 

 much-branched, corymbose, dense, axillary and terminal; cal.- 

 tube f-i in., solid at lower part, segm. \ in., oval, obtuse ;. 

 stam. with very long fil., much exserted, spreading ; style 

 strongly curved into a ring ; pod large, 5-9 in. by nearly 2 in. 

 wide, tapering to both ends, much compressed, rigidly leathery ,. 

 glabrous, veiny; seed i|-if in., ovoid, slightly compressed. 



By streams in forests in the low country, especially in the drier 

 districts; rather common. Fl. Jan.-March, &c; pale orange-scarlet, 

 filaments purple, anth. black. 



Also in India and Malaya. 



The flowers are very sweet-scented, especially in the evening ; they 

 are at first yellow, and become orange, and finally red, and are profusely 

 produced for many months. The young leaves are pendulous and 

 coloured. The plant is much cultivated for its beauty and sweet scent. 

 Wood light, pale red, rather soft. 



Tamarindus mdica, L., Siyambala, S., Puli, T.; the Tamarind is a 

 very commonly planted tree, especially in the dry districts. There are- 

 specimens in Hermann's Herb., but it is nowhere wild here. In the dry 

 region of the island it is very conspicuous, every village having several 

 and often magnificent specimens. Trees are occasionally found appa- 

 rently wild in the jungle, but always on the site of abandoned villages. 



* Named in honour of Sir William Jones, the Oriental scholar and. 

 botanist, who first fully described this tree, 

 t Asoka is the Sanskrit name. 



