"UGANDA CORDIA (C. abyssinica). 
Eggeling: “Indigenous Trees of Uganda” 
says this shrub or tree to 30 feet has “very 
decorative” flowers, white, massed in 
compact panicles, appearing as if made of 
tissue paper. C. E. Duff's calendar for 
March in Northern Rhodesia calls this “a 
tree on anthills near Ndola, with great 
masses of white flowers which show up 
at long distances.” 
CIGARBOX CEDARS (Cedrela sp.). 
These South American trees—there are a 
hundred species—are known chiefly for 
their fragrant, easily worked wood. De- 
spite the common name, they are not re- 
lated to the cedars, but belong to the ma- 
hogany family. The flowers are incon- 
spicuous but the trees make good shade. 
*TONKA BEAN (Coumarouna odor- 
ata). “This attractive tree,” wrote Dr. 
Ducke of Brazil, “in primary forest reaches 
100 feet but in cultivation is medium- 
sized. It blooms in the middle of the dry 
season (Sept.-Oct. in Manaus), rosy-vio- 
let flowers in copious bunches at the ends 
of the branches, very fragrant.” This tree 
produces the coumarin of commerce, a 
TREE IXORA 
crystalline substance with the fragrance of 
vanilla, used to flavor tobacco, confection- 
ery and cosmetics. 
CROTON (C. megalabotrys). I can- 
not find reference to this species in the 
literature but Jex-Blake says C. megalo- 
carpus is a “very picturesque” shade tree 
to 60 feet. I have raised plants of an- 
other African species, C. macrostachys, 
but this proves to be a weedy tree, not at- 
tractive in flower and not recommended. 
These trees belong to the poinsettia fam- 
ily, and should not be confused with gar- 
den crotons (Codaeium sp.) 
*SACRED BARNA (Crataeva adan- 
soni). “Very handsome when profuse in 
bloom,” wrote Blatter & Millard of this 
spreading, glossy-leaved, deciduous small 
tree of 15-30 feet. The delicate graceful 
flowers, 2-3 inches wide with 4 white 
petals turning yellow as they age, are in 
clusters at the branch tips. From the 
center of each blossom and contrasting 
“very beautifully” arise 20 to 24 purple 
2-inch stamens. Benthall says in India 
the flowering is capricious and the tree is 
“seldom seen at its best.” Blossoming is 
usually in February-March, with the new 
leaves, but may be anywhere from De- 
cember to May in rare instances. In 
Malaya this tree is evergreen, “very 
showy,” says Corner, The same tree oc- 
curs in West Tropical Africa where the 
flowers come before the leaves. They 
have a garlic odor. The tree thrives be- 
side streams or in dry areas but needs full 
sun. The hard-shelled, 2-inch, many- 
seeded fruit is edible. 
GUATEMALA CYMBOPETALUM (C. 
penduliflorum). From the wet forests of 
Central America this Annona relative, a 
pyramidal or spreading evergreen tree 30- 
100 feet high, has been brought into cul- 
tivation for the flowers. These curious 
large pendent yellow-green, pineapple- 
like blossoms are very fragrant. The very 
thick and fleshy petals are dried and used 
widely to flavor beverages, and are a 
favorite Mexican flavoring for chocolate. 
BLACKWOOD (Dalbergia latifolia). 
This large deciduous Indian tree in good 
soil, small in poor soil, should be highly 
storm resistant. The wood is extremely 
SA. 
