N. 0. LEGUUMIN0S.E. 
439 
385. Erythrina indiea, Linn., h.f.b.i., II. 188, 
Roxb 541. 
Sans. : — Mftndala. 
Vern ■ : — Pangra, panjira, furrud (H.) ; Palita mundar (B.) ; 
Muruka-marum (Tam.) ; Modugu, badide-chettu (Tel.) ; Mooloo- 
moorikah, dudup (Mai.) ; Paravalada-mara (Kan.). Birsing 
(Kol.) ; Pangkra, pbangra, pan ara (Mar.); Panarawes, .pararoo 
(Guz). 
Habitat : — From the foot of the Himalayas throughout 
India. 
A deciduous, quick-growing tree, attaining to large size. 
Bark thin, smooth, grey. Outer bark, says Gamble, yellowish, 
smooth and shining, peeling off the thin papfery 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 6-12in., 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 
fin. 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 tb 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. 
