385. Erythrina indica, Linn., h.f.b.l, ii. 188, Roxb 541.
Sans. : — Mândâla.
Vern- : — Pângra, panjira, furrud (H.) ; Palita mundar (B.) ; Muruka-marum (Tam.) ; Modugu. badide-chettu (Tel.); Mooloo-moorikah, dudup (Mal.) ; Paravalada-mara (Kan,). Birsing (Kol.) ; Pângâra, pbangra, pân. arâ (Mar.) ; Panarawes, pararoo (Guz),
Habitat -.— From, tbe foot of tbe 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 papery flakes. " Structure 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, horizontal, broad-based, sharp, black prickles ; leaf-scars conspicuous. 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 ½in. 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 to 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 projecting in front of flowers, 2¾in. Pod 5-6in., cylindric, torulose, beak sharp, curved, about lin. long. Seed, 3-8, beanlike, about lin. long, chocolate coloured, dull, shining.
