HARDWICKIA BINATA. (Nat. ord. Leguminosae ; Sub-order Ctesalpiniese ; Tribe Cynometrcae.) 



■H.ARDWICKIA. (Roxb.) Gen. PI. p. 586. — GEN. CHAR. Calycine segments 3-5 petaloid, orbicular or ovate subequal, very much 

 imbricated, scarcely cohering at the base or forming any tube ; corol none, stamens 6-10 distinct inserted iuto the bottom of the calyx, alternately 

 shorter, anthers small, cells dehiscing longitudinally, ovary sessile free, ovules 2 on the ventral suture close to the apex, style filiform with a large peltate 

 stigma, or slightly winged with a small stigma, legume (in H. binata) lanceolate cuneate, compressed, 2-valved opening at the apex, 1-seeded, seed pendulous 

 in the apex of the legume obovate thin and somewhat membranaceous on the one edge, albumen none, cotyledons thinly carnose, radicle short erect. Trees 

 unarmed, leaves abruptly pinnate 1-3 pair coriaceous, flowers small, racemes axillary panicled, bracts minute. 



HARDWICKIA BINATA. (Roxb.) An elegant tree, trunk tolerably straight, bark deeply cracked, branches spreading, 

 leaves alternate petioled, petioles \ to 1 inch long, leaflets 1 pair opposite sessile with a bristle between them, between senii- 

 cordate and reniform, obtuse, entire very smooth on both sides, 3-6 veined at the base, 1 to 2| inches long, by about half that in 

 breadth, when young tinged with red, stipules small cordate caducous : pauicles terminal and from the exterior axils, flowers pedicelled 

 scattered small, bracts minute caducous, calyx somewhat hoary on the outside often dotted, yellowish within, filaments generally 10, 

 rarely 6-8, anthers with or without an acute point between the lobes, style filiform, stigma large peltate, legume lauceolate 2 to 3 inches 

 long, 2-valved striated lengthways, opening at the apex, seed solitary in the apex of the legume. Roxb. Fl. hid. ii. p. 423. 



The head-quarters of this valuable tree are the forests on both banks of the Cauvery north of Cauverypoorum, both in the Salem 

 and Coimbaiore districts, where it often grows almost to the exclusion of all other trees ; it is also abundant on the slopes of the Balarangams, near 

 Collegal and at Hassanoor and Guzzlehutty, on the Cnddapah and Arcot hills, and the southern parts of the Natty Mallays, and it is also found 

 in the Mysore District on the Circar Mountains, in the Godavery forests and in the Bombay Presidency. It is naturally of straight growth, but cattle 

 being -very fond of its leaves, it is pollarded to a frightful extent wherever it grows. It is heart-rending to see the damage done in the Cauvery 

 forests'. It is very generally known by its Tamil name " Acha," but is often called Karachi in the Salem district, and Rat udagti in some parts ; 

 its Teligoo name is Nar Tepi, and it is called Ka~>mra in Canarese; its timber is of a reddish color, very hard, stony, and heavy, and of excellent 

 quality ; it is a first rate building and engineering timber, but is not utilized nearly as much as it might be; its bark yields a strong fibre much 

 used by the natives in some parts. It grows from the level of the plains up to about 3,500 feet elevation ; it is easily raised from seed, and is 

 cultivated in the Botanical Gardens at Calcutta. 



A second supposed species of this genus ( IJardwickia pinnata) was discovered many years ago on the Travancore hills, but I have nut 

 as yet been fortunate enough to find it ; it has quite similar flowers, but 3 pair of leaflets, and the legume being unknown, it is not certain whether 

 it belongs to this genus. 



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