More on Trees

Pisonia grandis

4.Pisonia grandis or the tree lettuce is a small tree of beach forests of the Andamans: now grown in many home gardens of chennai, mainly for its attractive foliage. The leaves are long and ovate with acutely pointed ends. But what holds our interest is their light green colour, lending it an attractive appearance but for which perhaps no one would care to spare space for this plant in their gardens. Of South American origin, this has become part of Chennai's flora only recently. Fresh leaves are used as an anti-inflammatory and as a diuretic.

5.Eucalyptus sps: You find several hybrid varieties of Eucalyptus, all over India, used in the reclamation of wate lands. These hybrid varieties are lean, their leaves have little oil-value but because of their ability to tap whatever little underground water is available in the area, they are grown in lands where few other tree species grow. Growing Eucalyptus is part of the programme of social forestry. The community is served by developing a rich source of fuel -- the trunk and leaves burn easily. These hybrids stand in sharp contrast to the original Australian Eucalyptus -Eucalyptus globulus, carrying the popular name of Blue gum tree. In its natural habitat, the tree looks slightly blue, from a distance, because of the interplay of the sun and the oilglands, present in the leaves. Indeed, some years ago, in the compound of one of the houses in my neighbourhood, there was a huge Blue gum tree. I read about the capacity of Eucalyptus to tap underground water and when I found that most of the wells in the neighbourhood were running dry, including the one in the particular houseowner's, I surmised this tree could be the cause of it all. On hearing me out, the house owner agreed to cut down the tree, especially convinced on coming to know that I am a student of Botany! When finally he got the tree felled, the entire neighbourhood was overjoyed to see the water-level in the wells swelling up within a few weeks. I was pleased as punch! Nonetheless, a great view had disappeared in our area.

The Eucalyptuses are attractive in several ways: The pealing bark sheets exposing the smooth, slightly bluish trunk, the oil-gland dotted leaves giving off a light aroma and the peculiar kind of fruit that resembles the silver vessel used by our women folk, to keep the vermillion -- all these are part of that attraction.

It is not a good proposition to think of getting Eucalyptus oil by crushing the leaves of these hybrid trees. But to use the leaves and cut logs as firewood is a profitable pursuit. So, if you have a stray hybrid Eucalyptus tree, which is quite likely because it is grown in some home gardens in Chennai, better use it on a cold wintry morning to get some hot water.

The leaves exhibit a peculiar dimorphism: The Juvenide leaves are bent shaped and opposite and the adult leaves are sickle-shaped and alternate.

The wood pulp of Eucalyptus is very good for paper-making and quite a few paper mills raise plantations of Eucalyptus.

Recommend this page

Mail us your feedback

Post your Comment

View Comments

6.Ficus krishnae: There is a single tree of this species in entire Chennai -- in the Agri-horticultural gardens, in whose grounds you have the garden restaurant run by the group of Woodlands Hotels. You can see this tree on the eastern side of the restaurant. Mercifully, this tree has been spared by the wood-cutter.

Called Krishna's butter cup, this is a small tree bearing peculiarly folded leaves, resembling the empty container of cone Icecream. To my eyes, the leaf resembles the hand of a devotee streched out before an archaka, for receiving Theertham. While in the act, look at the devotee's hand: he'll have organized his palm into a cup. How does he do it? Keeping the little finger, ring finger and the middle finger straight, maintaining them in that position by pressing the thumb against the middle finger and closing the forefinger upon the thumb is how he does it. In olden days, the theertham was served out of sacred conch and you shape your palm into a conch-like form in the manner described above.