BUTEA FEONDOSA. (Nat. order Leguminosa}.) 



-BUTEA. Roxb.— GEN. CHAR. Calyx campanulate bilabiate, upper lip almost entire, lower 3-fid, vexillum ovate acute recurved inap- 

 pendiculate, alas falcate adhering to the keel, keel much incurved acute equalling the vexillum. Stamens diadelphous 9 and 1, the vexillum-one free, 

 anthera uniform, ovary sessile or shortly stipitate 2 ovuled, style elongate incurved, stigma small glaudular, legume subsessile or stalked oblong or broadly 

 linear 2 valved and 1 seeded at the apex only, below flat compressed rather thin, indehiscent. Trees or lofty climbers, leaves pinnately 3 foliate, stipules 

 small caducous, flowers large orange or flame colored, fascicled in racemes or panicles. 



-DUTEA FRONDOSA. (Roxb.) A middling sized tree, trunk generally crooked covered with ash-colored spongy thick 

 scabrous bark, the middle stratum of which contains a red juice, young shoots downy, leaves alternate pinnately 3-foliate 8-16 inches 

 long, leaflets emarginate or rouuded at the apex, coriaceous above shining and pretty smooth below slightly hoary, the 2 lateral ones 

 obliquely oval, 4-6 inches long 3-4£ broad, the terminal one obovate and much larger than the others. Stipules small recurved down}-, 

 stipels subulate, racemes simple lax terminal axillary and from nodes over the naked branchlets, pedicels about twice as long as the 

 calyx, calyx segments short slightly acute several times shorter than the tube, bractes lanceolate caducous, 1 below each pedicel and 

 2 below the calyx, curol densely pubescent 4-5 times larger than the calyx, of an orange red mixed with silvery down, vexillum ovate 

 acute, legume as in the generic character about 6 inches long downy. Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. p. 244. 



This tree is common throughout the dry jungles in this Presidency and in Bengal, Bombay and Ceylon : it is a very beautiful sight 

 when in full flower in March and April; it is called Palds in Hindoslanee, and gave its name to the field of Plassey as it was covered with this 

 tree, in Teligu it is called Modagu, Thoras in Canarese, and in Ceylon Gass-kaala. The wood somewhat resembles Teak in appearance, and 

 is used for gun-powder charcoal, also for building purposes and well curbs; a red colored astringent gum exudes from wounds made in the 

 bark and is officinal, and the floweis yield a dye ; ropes are made from the fresh fibre of the roots. 



176 



