Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae (Caesalpiniaceae) Week: Looking for Saraca indica L.

[Gurcharan Singh]

Dear friends

The fact that Flora of British India described the sacred Ashok tree under the name Saraca indica L., and Jonesia asoka Roxb. as its synonym, has often led many to believe that perhaps Saraca asoka  and Saraca indica are the same tree and synonyms, the fact is not exactly so.

As it appears the Sacred Indian Ashok tree was decribed by Roxburgh under the name Jonesia asoka, but the name got ignored because earlier Beddome (1870) in Fl. Sylv. and later Baker in FBI (1878) thought this to be same as Saraca indica L., described by Linnaeus, and the name Saraca indica L. continued to be used from this important sacred tree.

It was De Wilde in 1967 who established that Indian plant is distinct from Saraca indica L., and made a new combination Saraca asoka (Roxb.) De Wilde, based on Jonesia asoka Roxb., and that is now the accepted name for our tree, quite distinct and not synonymous with Saraca indica L.

Whereas Saraca asoka (Roxb.) De Wilde is native of South India, Bangladesh and Western Myanmar, it has been introduced in other parts of India and other countries of SE Asia and Tropical Africa.

Saraca indica L., on the other hand is native of Laos, Thailand; Vietnam, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra and  Malaysia. but is reported (Flora Ceylone) to be introduced into India (along with Saraca declinata (Jacq.) Miq. and Saraca thaipingensis Cantley ex Prain). Perhaps it would be interesting to

1. know the difference bewtween Saraca asoka (Roxb.) De Wilde and Saraca indica L.

2. Locate, photograph and upload real Saraca indica L.

Alo if any one is lucky to find other two species, also introduced in India.

Who knows it may be among some of our photographs.   

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[Dinesh Valke]

Many thanks for this enlightenment, Gurcharan ji.
May have to dig and check what we have in our own collections.
Regards.
Dinesh

[Gurcharan Singh]

Dinesh ji

For that some one has to dig out the differences between Saraca asoca Saraca indica L.

I have not been able to find yet.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[promila chaturvedi]

Thanks Prof. Singh for explaining tthe difference among the species. I think In Bangalore SGK Nursery will be having all these vars of Saraca.

Promila

[jmgarg1]

Forwarding again for any assistance in the matter please.

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1

'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'
The whole world uses my Image Resource of more than a thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise): http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg. You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image.

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[jmgarg1]

Forwarding again for any assistance inthe matter please.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Gurcharan Singh <sing...@gmail.com>
Date: 10 December 2011 10:51
Subject: [efloraindia:98652] Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae (Caesalpiniaceae) Week: Looking for Saraca indica L.
To: efloraofindia <indian...@googlegroups.com>

[J.M. Garg]

Hi, Singh ji,

Pl. check Saraca indica per Flora Malesiana (Flowering collections of Saraca indica can be recognized by the rather higher number of stamens (usually 6-8) and the bracteoles which are erecto-patent to spreading, not clasping the pedicel, and caducous or persistent during anthesis.) with differences as per illustration at Link.

Descriptions are given below:

Saraca indica 

Tree to 24 m tall and 34 cm in diam. Leaves (l-)2-4(-7)-jugate, subsessile to shortly petioled; petiole and rachis (0.5-)7-25(-35) cm long. Inflorescences up to 10(-22) cm wide, slightly pubescent or subglabrous, main branches up to c. 14 cm long, 1.5-5 mm diam.; bracts elliptic or ovate-oblong, 3-8 by 1.5-4.5 mm, caducous or persistent, puberulous and/or minutely ciliate on the margin; bracteoles caducous or persistent during anthesis, erecto-patent to spreading, broadly elliptic or ovate, 3-8 by 1.5-5 mm, glabrous or minutely ciliate on the margin; pedicels (4-) 12-20(-35) mm, the length between bracteoles and flower 7-10(-14) mm. Flowers orange yellow, to deep orange or purple, or red, articulated near the base, glabrous. Stamens (5 or) 6-8(-10); filaments 10-35 mm, often puberulous at the basal parts; anthers ellipsoid or oblong, c. 1 mm long; staminodes absent. Seeds ovoid-oblong, sometimes reniform, 4-5 by 2-2.5 cm, and 0.6-1.2 cm thick.

Asia-Tropical:, Jawa (Jawa ‒ present); Laos (Laos ‒ present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia ‒ present); Sumatera (Sumatera ‒ present); Thailand (Thailand ‒ present) S Vietnam: present

Thailand, Laos, S Vietnam; Malesia: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Java

Commonly cultivated as an ornamental

Saraca asoca

Tree up to 10 m tall and 10 cm in diam., sometimes shrub or medium-sized shrub, 4.5 m tall. Leaves (l-)4-6-jugate, subsessile to shortly petioled; (petiole and) rachis (0.5-)7-15(-30) cm long. Inflorescences 1.5-12(-20) cm wide, glabrous, main branches up to c. 6 cm long, 1.5-2 mm diam.; bracts broadly ovate, ovate or obovate, 1-6 by 1 — 3.5( — 5) mm, caducous or persistent, puberulous and/or minutely ciliate on the margin; bracteoles persistent during anthesis, erect, embracing the pedicel, never spreading more than 45° from the pedicel, ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 2-7 by 1.5-4 mm, sparsely puberulous, subglabrous or glabrous except minutely ciliate on the margin; pedicels 8-18 mm, the length between bracteoles and flower (4-)7-10 mm. Flowers obscurely or not articulated near the base, subglabrous or glabrous, orange yellow, when older deep orange or orange red, fragrant during the night. Stamens (5 — )6 — 8( — 10); filaments (10-) 17-25 mm, glabrous; anthers ellipsoid or oblong, 1.5-2 mm long; staminodes 0-2. Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, sometimes slightly reniform, 2-3 by 1.25-2 cm, and 0.6-1 cm thick.

Asia-Tropical:, Bangladesh (Bangladesh ‒ present); India ‒ present; Jawa (Jawa ‒ present); Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia ‒ present); Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka ‒ present); Sumatera (Sumatera ‒ present) Papua New Guinea: present west of the Irrawaddy R.: present

India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma (west of the Irrawaddy R.). Introduced and cultivated in Malesia, specimens seen from Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Java, Papua New Guinea.

The species is frequently planted near shrines, occasionally in gardens and villages as an ornamental. Its bark, leaves and flowers said to have medicinal properties .

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Gurcharan Singh <sing...@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 at 10:51
Subject: [efloraindia:98652] Fabaceae-Caesalpinioideae (Caesalpiniaceae) Week: Looking for Saraca indica L.
To: efloraofindia <indian...@googlegroups.com>

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg

'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'

Winner of Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia. 

For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group (largest in the world- more than 3,000 members & 3,00,000 messages on 23.8.18) or Efloraofindia website (with a species database of more than 13,000 species & 3,00,000 images of which more than 2,00,000 images are directly displayed on 30.8.19).

The whole world uses my Image Resource of more than a thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise). You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image.

[Gurcharan Singh]

Thanks a lot Garg ji, you also gave me link to online version of this important Flora.

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.

Mob: 9810359089

https://sing96.wixsite.com/mysite-1

[Gurcharan Singh]

It would now be interesting to locate in S. indica occurs in India.

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Mob: 9810359089

https://sing96.wixsite.com/mysite-1

[J.M. Garg]

Pl. see Saroj ji's post from Thailand at SK 2383 13 January 2020