N. 0. LEGUMMIN0S.E. 439 



385. Eryihrina indica, Linn., h.f.b.l, ii. 188, 

 Roxb 541. 



Sans. : — Mandala. 



Vern- : — Pangra, panjira, furrud (H.) ; Palita mundar vB.) ; 

 Muruka-marum (Tarn.) ; Modugu. badide-chettu (Tel.); Mooloo- 

 moorikah, dudup (Mai.) ; Paravalada-mara (Kan,). Birsing 

 (Kol.) ; Pangara, pbangra, pan. ara (Mar.) ; Panarawes, pararoo 

 (Guz), 



Habitat -.— From, tbe foot of tbe Himalayas throughout 

 India. 



A deciduous, quick-growing tree, attaining to large size. 

 Bark tbin, smooth, grey. Outer bark, says Gamble, yellowish, 

 smooth and shining, peeling off the tbin papery flakes. " Struc- 

 ture like that of E. suberosa, Roxb," ; says Gamble, further, 

 " Inner bark, fibrous, wood very soft spongy, white, fibrous 

 but tough." Young twigs thick set, with small straight, hori- 

 zontal, broad-based, sharp, black prickles ; leaf-scars conspicu- 

 ous. Leaves very large, deciduous, rachis 6-1 2in., smooth, 

 dilated at base, stipules none or very nearly caducous. Leaflets 

 4-6in., on short swollen stalks, readily disarticulating, roundish- 

 ovate, acute, glabrous and green on both sides, the terminal one 

 largest : stipels thick, roundish, persistent. Flowers numerous, 

 large, generally scarlet, the wings and keel crimson ; on stout 

 puberulous, peduncles horizontally spreading. Pedicels, about 

 Jin. long, arranged in 2's or3's, and closely crowded on the upper 

 half of very stout, rigid, puberulous racemes, 6-12in. long, 2-4 

 of which diverge horizontally from the summit of the branches. 

 Calyx (before expansion of flowers) tubular, If in., covered with 

 deciduous tomentum, upper segment subulate, sharp but not 

 rigid, two lateral similar but smaller lowest, one longer doubled 

 over the rest to form blunt point to the bud, soon splitting along 

 the back (between the upper teeth) to the base, and the whole 

 curved down like a spathe-standard, nearly 3in. Wings less 

 than lin. Keel-petal fin. Stamens much exserted and project- 

 ing in front of flowers, 2fin. Pod 5-6in., cylindric, torulose, 

 beak sharp, curved, about lin. long. Seed, 3-8, beanlike, about 

 lin. long, chocolate coloured, dull, shining. 



