142 



Parkia speciosa, Hassk. Petai. 



A tall elegant tree with feathery foliage, flowers in club-shaped 

 heads on long hanging peduncles, pods green thin, eaten by 

 Malays. Attains a height of 100 feet. Wood fairly heavy but not 

 very hard, pale reddish fawn colour, rings not very distinct, pores 

 large and smaller mixed scattered, not very numerous, rays dis- 

 tinct fairly fine red, on a grey ground in transverse section. 



Not much used as it is not durable, except for boxes and such 

 work. Weight 40 lbs. 8 ozs. 



P. Ro.xburghii, Don. Kurayong, Gudayong, Kadaong. 



A similar tree with much thicker pods, the seeds of which are 

 used in medicine, is doubtfully wild here. It attains a height of 

 about 60 feet, with smooth grey bark, the heart-wood is brown and 

 fairly heavy, not durable. 



Adenanthera pavonina, L. Saga. 

 A big tree often planted, 20-50 feet tall. 



Wood dirty white with large pores often sub-divided. Heart- 

 wood red. Weight 55-56 lbs. (Gamble), S. 30 lbs. 12 ozs. to 33 lbs. 

 15 ozs. Used in cabinet making and for building in India and 

 Java. 



A quick growing tree, good as a shade tree or for rapid 

 afforesting. 



A. bicolor, Moon. 

 Somewhat similar to the last. Common but usually planted. 

 Wood dirty white becoming brownish towards the centre, hard, 

 does not split. Weight 56 lbs. 10 ozs. (Maingav). 



Enterolobium Saman, Prain. Inga Saman, Willd. Rain tree. 



Attains a great height in good soil, 60 to 80 feet. Commonly 

 cultivated as a shade tree. Wood light with much soft white 

 sapwood. Heart-wood brown not very hard, pores rather large 

 arranged in concentric rows 2 or 3 or more together and sur- 

 rounded with lighter softer tissue, rays very fine and fairly close. 



Weight 28 lbs. 1 1 ozs. to 46 lbs. 3 ozs. 



A fairly good wood, though it is not very durable and seems not 

 to be used even as firewood. 



Mimosa sepiaria, Be nth. 



A large thorny shrub, introduced from South America, and now 

 thoroughly established in Singapore. Of very rapid growth in 

 damp soil, and very difficult to eradicate, springing up again and 

 again after being cut down, and forming dense thickets. 



Wood heavy and hard, not easy to split when dry, red with 

 fairly large numerous scattered pores, rays fine, rings very indis- 

 tinct. Weight 78 lbs. 12 ozs. Only used as firewood for which 

 it is excellent but becomes hard to split if suffered to get dry and 

 should be split when fresh cut. 



Hymenea Co urbaril, L. Gum An i mi. 



A big tree introduced from South America, has fairly rapid 

 growth. Trees in the Botanic Gardens 15 years old have attained 



