|
 |
 >Others >Nene Bana >Tree Diversity |
| Experience forum |
||||||||||||||
|
Sheshadri Ramaswamy 10-4-2010
The young enthusiastic boys and forest staff of Melkote took us for a walk in their neighboring Indian Wolf Sanctuary. The Indian wolf is a critically endangered mammal species which is rarely sighted, the last being nine months back. The Melkote sanctuary is a very diverse forest although degraded to a large extent. This is home to an endemic cycad viz. Cycas circinalis which is endangered and . found rarely in South India As we started there were Eucalyptus groves which were once dense forests but now deforested and planted with exotic species in monoculture, but after we passed the planted areas we saw Bili Paadri (Dolichandrone atrovirens) growing scattered and the fruits were mature enough for raising saplings. Collected seeds. This tree is in flowers for six long months and the fragrant flowers were sold at markets in Mysore during 1950’s.
We noticed Jaalari (Shorea roxburghii) occurring occasionally but in clusters. This is the Lac tree. During old times Lac insects were cultivated on this tree. The Lac was used for Seals and also dissolved in alcohol, pigmented with natural dyes and used for Lacquering and painting Channapatna toys made from wood of Beppala (Wrightia tinctoria) . Jaalari flowers during Mahashivarathri and the fragrant flowers fill the air with a sweet scent. The seeds are four winged and dispersed in air.
Then we noticed Murklu mara (Buchanania lanzan – edible calampung nut) growing in groups. Fruits were eaten by birds and seeds were dropped around the base of these trees. Collected seeds. We saw Biluka (Dalbergia paniculata) growing in rock crevices. It was in full blossom and the flowers smell of roses. Simultaneously mature seeds were present too. A characteristic of this tree is that the leaves turn black on drying.
As we went on we noticed around that Bikke mara (Gardenia latifolia) increases in height as the forest deepens into almost a moist deciduous forest type. Gardenia latifloia is large shrub with large showy and fragrant flowers. When they blossom they are pure white but later turning to yellow and deep orange when almost dry. Fruits were present too that were half eaten by birds.
Gardenia resinfera, a cousin of G. Latifolia is pretty abundant here and the interesting resin beads formed at the end of all branch lets shine yellow in the Sun. We also spotted Dinduga (Anogeissus latifolia), Alale (Terminalia chebula), Honne (Pterocarpus marsupium), Bridelia retusa, Dhoopada mara (Boswellia serrata), Thoobrey (Diospyros melanoxylon) which is wrapped into beedies with tobacco, Holarahenna antidysentrica with mildly fragrant flowers, Memecylon umbellatum, Kakke (Cassia fistula), Torematti/Holematti (Terminalia arjuna) and Kadambe. The next day as we climbed Mudu Betta, we observed some large shrubs with purple flowers. The Melkote boys immediately went about looking into field guides and identified it as Mundulea sericea.
They showed us climbers of Maakali beru and we smelt the roots too to confirm. They told us about the huge Vultures that would nest on the Narayanadurga Hill and sometimes on forks of Jaalari trees. They are now extinct in this region for various reasons. It is interesting to hear that the nest is so big and still intact that these boys would spread their legs and sleep inside these abandoned nests These young and interesting Naturalists of Melkote had noticed two Black bucks fight in this forest during one of their wild life treks. We wonder which bird disperses Gardenia and how many decades old are the trees growing in rock crevices with very little soil! How animals survive in spite of the water shortage in these dry deciduous forests! Ixora spp (Akki hoovu), Lagerstroemia microcarpa (Nandi mara), Miliusa velutina Grewia spp. Ficus spp. –sproutings were found in rock crevice of Narayanadurga hill where the extinct vultures once nested! |
||||||||||||||
>Others >Nene Bana >Tree Diversity