POINGIANA ELATA. (Nat. order LeguminosEe.) 



iOINCIANA. Linn. — GEN. CHAR. Sepals 5 equal or subequal united below into a very short cup-shaped somewhat persistent base> 

 petals 5 orbicular imbricate subequal or the upper one shaped differently from the others, stamens 10 free much longer than the petals, slightly villous at 

 the base, anthers, uniform, cells dehiscing longitudinally, ovary sessile free many-ovuled, style filiform or abbreviated, apex slightly clavate, stigma 

 truncate, legume elongate flatly compressed wingless 2 valved several seeded intercepted internally between the seeds, seed transverse oblong albuminous, 

 hilum small, testa hard. Cotyledons rather thick, radicle short straight exserted. Unarmed trees, leaves bipinnate, leaflets numerous small, stipules 

 inconspicuous, stipels none, flowers showy corymbosely racemed at the apex of the branches. 



POINCIANA ELATA. (L.) A middling sized very showy tree, 20-30 feet, bark pretty smooth ash-colored, branches 

 numerous spreading much, leaves alternate bipinnate about 6 inches long, pinnae 2-8 pair opposite, leaflets 10-20 pair sessile opposite 

 linear glabrous about 4^ lines long by 1 broad, petiole grooved on the upper side, racemes terminal corymbiform few flowered, flowers 

 large showy inodorous yellowish, bracts small 1 flowered caducous, calyx villous on the outside, petals 5 of which the upper one is a 

 little smaller and deeper colored, all nearly round and much curled at the margin, filaments ascending afterwards recurved, twice as 

 long as the petals, thick and villous at the base, anthers versatile. Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. p. 355. 



A very beautiful tree, rather rare in our jungles, though met with in the forests of both the eastern and western coasts ; most abundant 

 in a planted state in avenues, topes, gardens, native cemeteries, &c, the wood is yellow, tolerably close and even grained, easily worked and gives 

 a smooth surface, warps slightly but never crocks ; a cubic foot unseasoned weighs 54-58 lbs., and when seasoned 45 lbs. , the specific gravity 

 is - 720, it is well suited for cabinet work. > 



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