Indian Laburnum

Location in BHU campus :Planted as a roadside tree throughout the campus .

Botanical name : Cassia fistula L

Family : Caesalpiniaceae

Vernacular / local Name : Bengali-Sundali,amultas;Gujarati- Garmala; Hindi-Amaltas, girimala ,Kannada-Kakke; Marathi-Bahava; Sanskrit-Suvarnaka,rajataru;Tamil-Konnei; Telugu-Rela

English names : Indian Laburnum,Golden shower

A moderate sized deciduous tree,8-12 m high and 50-75 cm in diameter. Bark smooth,pale or greenish grey. Leaves about 25 -45 cm long ;leaflets 4-8 pairs,opposite,5-17 cm long ,ovate-lanceolate or ovate -oblong.Flowers 4-6 cm across ,bright yellow,in long pendulous racemes. Fruit a pod, cylindrical, drooping, dark brownish/black when ripe. Seeds 40-100, immersed in dark coloured sweetish pulp and separated from one another by transverse septa.

Flowering And Fruiting: April-February

• Sacred value

Flowers are used in religious ceremonies by Hindus. Stakes driven into the ground are worshipped in Mysore.

• Uses

A popular tree for gardens and avenues.Fruit pulp is used as a purgative / laxative for constipation. The pulp is an ingredient of spiced Indian tobacco. Bark is used for tanning. The timber is durable and is used for house posts,ploughs,tool-handles,wheels,furniture,decorative panelling and carving.