INTRODUCTION TO THE RAIN TREE

 

RAIN TREE

Family – Leguminosae

Scientific name – Enterolobium saman

COMMON NAME –

   1) Marathi name is Saman or Guango. 

   2) Hindi name is Belaiti Siris.

   3) In Tamil as Thungumoonji.

GROWING AREAS:

   1) This tree comes from South America and was introduced to Sri Lanka and then India.

   2) It is a tropical tree and cannot stand cold climates.

   3) It likes moist areas best.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

   1) It is a tall, fast growing, nearly deciduous tree.

   2) It has the ability to keep its shape even with strong winds blowing towards it from one direction.

   3) It has shallow roots and dark grey bark.

   4) It is also called the Rain tree in Malayasia where they say that when the leaves fold, rain will follow.

   5) The tree also has a habit of spraying moisture onto the ground, which gives it its name.

   6) But this moisture is produced by insects and not by the tree itself.

Leaves, flowers, fruits and uses of the Rain Tree :

  LEAVES OF THE RAIN TREE:

     1) The leaflets are oval in shape and dull green in colour.

     2) They can change their position according to weather conditions.

     3) In full sunlight they lie flat and open, but at night and in cloudy weather they swivel and fold, so that they lie sideways.

     4) The leaves are shed in winter but the tree is never completely bare.

  FLOWERS OF THE RAIN TREE:

                                     

     1) The flowering periods are March to May and again in late autumn. In many cases the tree flowers all the year round.

     2) The flowers are grouped together in bunches that look like balls of fluffy cotton-wool.

     3) The flowers are pink and they show up because of their grouping.

  FRUIT OF THE RAIN TREE:

                                           

     1) These fruits are flat.

     2) These fruits are fleshy brown seed-cases containing a sweet pulp which surrounds the seeds.

  USES OF THE RAIN TREE:

     1) The tree was supposed to have been brought to Sri Lanka in the hope of making good railway fuel.

     2) However, it is commonly planted at the sides of roads and gardens. 

     3) It is used to protect coffee and cocoa crops from the sun.

     4) The fruits are very popular with squirrels and fed to horses and cattle.

     5) They are said to increase the quantity of milk produced by cows.

     6) The seeds are not digested, but are swallowed and the passed out of the animals body in the same condition.

     7) In times of scarcity the leaves are used to feed animals.

     8) This tree is also the home of the lac insect but the lac produced is not of a very good quality.