266 POEEST TUBES. 



The cliarcoal tree. A small or medium sized 

 evergreen species. Said to be short-lived, 

 although there are trees at Bangalore of 26 years 

 of age. "When openings are made in the virgin 

 forest this tree appears somewhat mysteriously, 

 with the succeeding growth. A similar coincidence 

 happens in the case of the castor oil plant, and is, 

 no doubt, due to some property of the seed which, 

 retards germination in the absence of sufficient ex- 

 posure or light. The spontaneous growth in coffee 

 clearings was formerly allowed to remain as shade 

 to the cultivation, but it is now looked upon as 

 being prejudicial to coffee, and is generally re- 

 moved. Leaves silvery on the underside. Flowers 

 small, dioecious, crowded on the young woody shoots. 

 Drupe the size of a pigeon pea, and bearing a strong 

 resemblance to the fruit of Lantana, greyish-black 

 when ripe. "Wood soft and pithy, makes excellent 

 charcoal, as also yokes and rafters, when properly 

 smoked and seasoned. 



Cultivation.— This tree is most difficult to pro- 

 pagate by artificial methods, as neither the seed 

 nor cuttings vegetate readily. The best plan is to 

 transplant offsets during the rains. But under the 

 conditions already explained, the species is very 

 reproductive. 



532 Gironniera reticulata, Thwaites. Kan. Gabbn 



cTiekke, Narakabhutali, Tam. Koditani. Indian 

 Bazaars. Narakiyaood. 



'Si^—Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 313. 



'References.— Pkao-m. Lid. ; Diet, of Econ. 

 Prod, of Ind. 



BedJome describes this as a valuable timber tree 

 ascending the Travancore and Tinnevelly Ghats to 

 3,000 ft. It is entered as a Mysore species with 

 some hesitation, although there is little doubt of its 

 esisteLC3 on the south-west frontier. The wood 



