Botanical Name - Parkia biglandulosa

----- Parkia, R.B.; F.B.I. II-289. P. biglandulosa, W. and A.; F.B.I. II-289. Vern. Chendul-Ka-jhar, Chendu-phal, Hind. African locust tree.

----- An erect unarmed tree. Leaves bipinnate with very numerous leaflets; rachis of leaf downy, 1 ft. of more long; pinnae 20-30 pair, 60 to 100 pairs leaflets, rigid, 1/4 in. long. Flowers in dense long peduncled globose heads, each head subtended by a coriaceous persistent ligulate bract with a spoonshaped tip; upper flowers bisexual; the lower male or sterile. Calyx tubular, 1/3 in., shortly 5 cleft. Corolla tubular, cleft half-way down. Stamens 10, exserted; filaments connate at base and adnate to the calyx-tube. Ovary stalked, many ovuled. Pod large, flat, strap-shaped, tardily dehiscent.

----- A tall handsome tree, native of W. Africa. Large trees are frequently found in old Mahomedan gardens about the city of Hyderabad, Golconda and elsewhere. The farinaceous pulp which surrounds the seeds is edible and so also are the seeds themselves, which taste like garlic. The flowers in round white heads, which appear in the cold weather, are conspicious, hence the native name ' Chendul ' , or ball.