QUEEN’S FLOWER
Family - Lytbraceae
Scientific name - Lagerstroemia speciosa
flosreginae
COMMON NAMES:
1) In English its other names are Pride of
India, or Crepe flower.
2) In Marathi it is known as Taman, or Mota bondara.
3) In Hindi as Arjuna.
4) In Bengali Ajar.
5) In Tamil Kaduli.
6) In Telegu Vara gogu.
GROWING AREAS:
1) This tree belongs to Assam, Burma, Sri
Lanka and Kerala, but is now found in many parts of India.
2) It is very common on river banks and in
marshy places.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
1) It is a fast growing deciduous tree.
2) It can grow very tall in wet areas but remains small or of medium height in dry or unsuitable places.
3) Hardy in rich soil it can often flower only two years after planting.
4) It has smooth
light grey bark which peels in patches.
5) The branches grow fairly high up the trunk
and produce a crown of leaves.
6) In Kerala there are forests of these trees
which look very beautiful in the flowering season.
LEAVES OF THE QUEEN’S FLOWER TREE:
1) Leaves fall gradually from January and the
tree is rarely completely bare.
2) The leaves turn a reddish brown before falling.
3) They are large, oval shaped and rough with veins clearly showing.
4) The upper side is a dull green colour but it is paler underneath.
The new leaves grow in pairs along the branches.
5) In early April the new leaves appear.
6) They cover the tree in a very short time,
and are a clear pale green.
FLOWERS OF THE QUEEN’S FLOWERS TREE:
1) These appear in April and remain till June,
often flowering again in July and August.
2) They grow on long spikes at the end of the
branches and are very showy.
3) They have six-or seven-petalled purple
flowers turning paler as they fade.
4) The petals have a crushed and crumpled
look, like tissue paper.
FRUIT
OF THE QUEEN’S FLOWER TREE:
1) These are wood-like seed-cases with five or
six openings.
2) They are green in colour at first but later change to brown and black.
3) The seeds are pale brown and smooth with a
stiff wing attached to each.
USES OF THE QUEEN’S FLOWER TREE:
1) The wood of this tree is very hard and is used for boat building.
2) Many other parts of the tree are used medicinally or
for producing tannin (a chemical used for tanning leather).
3) But the tree is one of the loveliest trees
grown by the side of roads in India and is now a popular city tree.
