SHIRISH

Description:

1. Habit and Habitat: Terrestrial, grows at an altitude of 750 m above the sea level and in fertile and semi-fertile soil. Grows up to 9-10 m. Bark ranges from dark green to greyish green in colour.

2. Distribution: It is native to Indo-malaya, New Guinea and Northern Australia and widely cultivated and naturalised in other tropical and subtropical regions

3. Morphology: Leaves bipinnate,7.5-15 cm long, with 1-4 pairs of pinnae, each pinna
with 6-18 leaflets. Inflorescence: Inflorescence is Head, Flower: Flowers mimosa- like, in showy, rounded clusters near stem tips, bisexual, 5-6 cm across, cream or
yellowish-white. White, fragrant, heads umbellate, from the upper leaf axils, solitary or fasciculate. Filaments exserted, connate below into a short tube. Androecium:
each flower with numerous long stamens with yellow filaments.

Gynoecium: ovary
sub-sessile, glabrous, style 2.5 cm, filiform; stigma minute. Fruit: Pods 10 – 25 cm long, 3 – 5 cm broad, thin, flat, straight, straw – coloured when old, glabrous and shining.

Seeds: 4 – 12, spherical or slightly reniform (kidney shaped), smooth,

glabrous, yellowish brown.

Flowering and Fruiting time : July – Oct ; Oct – Mar

4. Propagation: Through seeds.

5. Importance: The bark and seeds are used as astringent. The flowers are considered cooling and are externally applied in boils, eruptions, etc. The leaves, seeds etc. are used in opthalmia. The timber is valued for a variety of purposes.