and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



511 



FLOWERING TREES IN CEYLON. 



There is a fine floral display on many cf 

 the big trees in and around the Victoria Park 

 and in other parts of Colombo at the present 

 time ; although the rains in some cases 

 have begun to dash the flowers to the 

 ground. There is a young ironvvood tree 

 (Mesua ferrea : Na gana of the Sinhalese) 

 in full flower, in the Victoria Garden, a 

 most gorgeous sight, the large whito flowers 

 with orange centre, in contrast to the large 

 round buds enclosed in pink calyces scat- 

 tered all over the tree. Perhaps the prettiest 

 sight is found in the Jaciranda mimosa folia 

 with its light purple flowers. There is of this 

 a small tree in Victoria Gardens, partially 

 in flower ; but a finer one (the bloom 

 nearly over) in the garden of Mr. E. Meaden 

 near the Public Hall. Mr. P. D. Siebel 

 has also a specimen, the bloom of which is 

 past. Some few weeks ago, we found a young 

 tree of that famous Burma tree : Amherstm 

 nobilis in flower in the Museum garden ; but 

 we suppose it is the only one in Colombo. 

 Of the Cassia family quite a number are 

 in flower : perhaps the most attractive is 

 Cassia nodosa, of which there are two 

 fine specimens opposite each other, in 

 Victoria Gardens, with flowers of entirely 

 different colours :— one of nearly peach- 

 blossom, and the other pink or almost 

 red. A very fine specimen, too, is in flower 

 opposite the portico of " Canella Villa ; ' 

 and at the entrance to the same bungalow 

 there is a grand specimen of Alstonia schola- 

 ris just about to burst into bloom, long 

 white pendulous flowers, and the timber 

 of which long supplied the slates on which 

 Hindu boys did their sums using pieces of 

 charcoal to mark on the white wood. The finest 

 trees we have ever seen were at Lucknow ; but 

 the Colombo one is not far behind. Cassia 

 Fistula* " Indian Laburnum." Of this chaste 



Eretty tree, with long drupes of laburnnmlike 

 losspms, — there is a small specimen in flower 

 in the Gardens ; but several nice trees are in 

 The Firs, Turret Road. 



Cassia Multijurja is just now in the height 

 of its glory, the bright yellow of its blown 

 blossom contrasting beautifully with its brown 

 flovverstalks and its dark green leaves. A patch 

 on any grass lavvn on which the tree may be 

 growing, covered with its bright yellow petals, 

 is not unlike a gorgeous oriental carpet. 



Poinciana regia. — (Flamboyante) with its 

 wealth of bright red flowers is at present one of 

 the groat sights of the city : passengers from 

 Europe are simply astonished at its exquisite 

 richness and carry away large clusters of its 

 flowers on board their steamers. Along Flower 

 Road, Ward and Union Place, very fine trees 

 are to be seen. 



The Plerocarpus indicus (Sinhalese Wal Ehela, 

 or "Rifle Mess House tree' 1 the Padouk of 



* '■Cassia fistula' was the mediaeval pharmacists 

 name for the pods, having been transferred 

 to thom from somo variety of wild Cinnamon 

 Bark. 



Burmah— a most valuable bee flower tree) in all 

 the show of its full bloom, diffuses a most deli- 

 cious perfume and covering the ground around 

 with its delicate little yellow petals. The 

 Sinhalese have named this tree the Wal Ehela, 

 simply on account of its yellow blossom, which 

 only resembles that of the Ehela in colour but 

 they belong to the same natural order. 



Laqerstroemin regina has a few specimens 

 out of its splendid purple flower, notably near 

 the General Hospital. 



Another showy tree is Peltophorum ferru- 

 ffineum, also producing a scented golden yellow- 

 blossom. 



A tree with an inconspicuous blossom which 

 has a strong odour of bee-honey is "Bulu'' 

 [Tcrminalia bclerica). 



Spathndia Campanulata and Erythrina Indica 

 add to the variety of large trees in flower. 



Can any one tell us if there is a specimen 

 anywhere in Colombo of Saraca declinata 

 described as a beautiful flowering tree, with 

 flowers orange yellow in large masses on trunk 

 and branch. 



IN PERADENIYA R. B. GARDENS. 



No period of the year can surpass ADril and 

 May for the variety of flowers in season in the 

 lowcountry. Amongst conspicuous trees in 

 flower just now at Peradeuiya are the gorge- 

 ous Flamboyant [Poinciana rcgia) of Madagas- 

 car, the elegant Jacaranda mitnosaefolii of 

 Brazil, with dainty fern-like foliage and masses 

 of purplish-blue flowers ; also Schizolobium ex. 

 eelsum, a large deciduous tree from Tropical 

 America which produces its immense sprays of 

 yellow blossom before the leaves. Amherstin 

 nobilis, the " Queen of Flowering-trees,' ; is now 

 almost past its glory for the season, but during 

 the last three months its immense drooping 

 panicles of orange and yellow flowers have 

 enabled many a tourist to take away an im- 

 pression of tropical flowers which can be ob- 

 tained in Ceylon to an extent not surpassed if 

 equalled elsewhere in the world. The flowers of 

 the "Sapu" or Champac (Michelia ehampuca) 

 and " Ilang-ilang" (Cananga odorata) scent 

 the air at this season. It is from the 

 latter that the exquisite perfume of that 

 name is obtained. Contrasting with these 

 are the beautiful red-flowerevl Temple-tree 

 (Plumeria rubra) of Tropical America, the lovely 

 pink-flowered Cassia nodosa, and the rare Oncoba 

 smnosa of Arabia with its large scented single 

 flowere (white with yellow centre) spangling 

 amongst the foliage. Last but not least is" the 

 " Pride of India" (Lagerstroemia Flos rec/inae), 

 which might be called instead the " Pride of 

 the East.' Of this there are two varieties, one 

 with mauve-colored flowers, and the other with 

 bright pink blossoms; it is difficult to imagine 

 anything more delicately showy than the latter. 

 At this season of the year the Kadugannawa 

 Pass used to be much adorned with these in 

 flower, presenting an exceedingly interesting 

 and pleasing sight to railway passengers. Of 

 late, however, they have been getting fewer 

 owing to clearings for rubber, &c. 



