Botanical Name - Erythrina suberosa

----- E. suberosa, Roxb. ; F.B.I. II-189. Brandi's Ind. Trees, 227. Gamble's Ind. Timbers, 241. Vern. Kanti-palas, Hind. Mulu-modugu, Muni-modugu, Tel.

----- A moderate-sized deciduous tree. Outer Bark corky, light grey, with deep irregular vertical cracks, 1-2 in. thick, inner bark fibrous ; branches armed with straight whitish, conical prickles ; young parts, leaves beneath, and inflorescence usually covered with soft tomentum. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate ; Leaflets 3-8 in. broad often broader than long, rhomboid, green and glabrous above, matted with grey cottony down beneath. Racemes 9-15 in. long, crowded at the ends of the branches. Flowers bright, scarlet, 1 1/2-2 in. long, in, fascicles of 2-3. Calyx 3/8 in. long, slightly downy soon deeply bilabiate. Standard 1 1/2-2 in. long, blade 1/2 - 5/8 in. broad. Upper Stamen free from low down. Pod stalked 4-6 in. long, tapering at both ends, cylindrical with contractions at intervals, 4-6 seeded. Seeds black.

----- Fairly common in all the forests, growing in every soil and situation. The trunk is generally erect and 8-12 ft. long up to the near branches. Wood very soft, spongy, white fibrous but tough ; that near the centre of darker colour, but not a regular heart-wood. It is a fairly durable and is usd for scab hards, sieve-frames, planking and boxes or toys to be covered with lacquer. Weight about 19 lbs. per c. ft. the tree grows readily from cuttings and is of quick growth ; leaves deciduous during the cold season the rather hans-some bright scarlet flowers appear in February and March and the leaves soon after. It is also sometimes cultivated.