INTRODUCTION TO LAGERSTROEMIA FLOS-REGINAE

 LAGERSTROEMIA FLOS-REGINAE

Family – Lythraceae

Scientific name – Largerstroemia flos reginae

COMMON NAMES:

1.    1) This tree is also known as The Pride of India.

2.    2) In Bengali known as Jarul.

3.    3) Ajhar in Assam.

4.    4) Flos-reginae in Latin means "flower of the queen".

GENERAL INFORMATION:

1.    1) A large deciduous tree usually with short bole and big branches, bark light grey, fairly smooth.

2.    2) Leaves 4-8 inches long, 1.5-3 inches wide, on stalks only about 0.25 inch long.

The Pride of India

Flower of the Largerstroemia flos reginae

Leaf of the Largerstroemia flos reginae

Fruit of the Largerstroemia flos reginae

3.    3) Flowers very showy, 2—3 inches across, in large clusters at the ends of the branches.

4.    4) Petals crumpled in appearance, purple at first but gradually fading to nearly white before they fall.

5.   5) Fruit a somewhat woody capsule about an inch long and rather less in diameter, opening by 5 or 6 valves when ripe and seated on the persistent woody calyx.

6.    6) Seeds a little over 0.5 inch long, light brown with a stiff brittle wing, thin and light.

7.    7) The leaves turn red before falling in February-March, the fresh leaves appearing in April-May.

8.    8) The flowers are somewhat irregular in their season, sometimes appearing more than once in the year between April and September.

9.    9) The fruits ripen in the cold weather but open and shed the seeds about the time the leaves fall.

USES OF THE JARUL TREE:

1.    1) The timber is valued in Assam and Burma being used for boat building, particularly dugouts, carts and other purposes.

2.    2) Elsewhere this tree is mainly used for ornament on account of its handsome flowers.

3.   3) Planted trees, especially in dry localities, are usually too short and branchy for timber which is obtained mainly from trees growing on low-lying ground along rivers.

PROPAGATION OF THE JARUL TREE:

The growth is slow at first but improves after the first year.