JACARANDA

Jacaranda Juss., Gen. Pl. 138. 1789; Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hort. 3: 1716. 1915; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 8.

Deciduous trees. Leaves 2-pinnate, with many leaflets. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, in terminal or axillary panicles, showy, blue to violet. Calyx 5- toothed. Corolla campanulate, 2-lipped, 5-lobed; lobes subequal, spreading, obtuse. Stamens 4, staminode present. Capsule suborbicular, compressed, dehiscing by 2 woody valves. Seeds winged.

49 species

Jacaranda mimosifolia

Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don, Bot. Reg. t. 631. 1822; Edin. N. Phil. Jour. 264. 1823; Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hort. 3: 1713. 1915; Bor, Man. For. Bot. 195. 1953; Blatter, Millard & Steam, Ind. Trees, ed. 2: 93 t. 18, 1954; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak and Kashm. 669. 1972; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 8. J. ovalifolia R. Br., Bot. Mag.t. 2327. 1822; Parker, For. Fl. Punjab. 380. 1918.

Trees 6-18 m tall. Leaves alternate, 24-55 cm long, exstipulate, imparipinnate, bipinnate; rachis 24-45 cm long, stout, swollen at base, glabrous, rachises narrowly winged and grooved above; pinnae 5-12 cm long, opposite or subopposite, 14-26 pairs, even in number by the abortion of tip of the leaf; leaflets 21-50 opposite pairs and one odd terminal leaflet, ca. 1.2 cm x 0.4 cm, sessile, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, narrowed at both ends, apex acute, acuminate or apiculate, margin entire, base cuneate and +/- asymmetrical, lateral nerves 5-8 pairs, paler beneath, pubescent beneath and puberulent above; the terminal leaflet larger, linear lanceolate; petiole up to 6 cm long and petiolules of pinnae 3-4 mm long. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous, 3.5-5 cm long and 2.5-3.5 cm across, various shades of mauve, in large, lax up to 45 cm long, erect, terminal or axillary panicles, panicles puberulous; pedicels ca. 4 mm long. Calyx ca. 2.5 mm long, campanulate, pubescent, truncate, 5-toothed, teeth linear, ca. 0.6 mm long. Corolla 4-5 cm x 3 cm; tube 3-3.5 cm long, narrow and curved below, abruptly dilated upwards, throat wide; limb 2-lipped: upper lip 2-lobed, lobes white inside; lower lip 3-lobed, lobes subequal, 8-9 mm long, spreading, obtuse, hairy within. Stamens 4, included; filaments ca. 2 cm long, converging apically, glandular hairy at base; anthers ca. 4 mm long, bithecous, thecae very unequal, one large, fertile and the other reduced and sterile; staminode 1, subexserted, very long, +/- 22 mm long, clavately thickened and hairy at top and in middle. Disc fleshy. Ovary oblong, 2-2.5 mm long, appressed pubescent, 2-locular, ovules many; style 18-25 mm long, slightly curved and exceeding the stamens; stigma narrow oblong, 2-fid. Capsule ovate to suborbicular-oblong, apically mucronate, 5-7.5 cm x 4-5 cm, compressed at right angles to the septum, woody, loculicidally dehiscent. Seeds many, obovoid, 5-6 mm x mm 4-4.5 mm (with wing 16-18 mm broad).

Flowering and Fruiting: April to May
Common Names: Blue Jacaranda, Jacaranda, Black Poui, Fern Tree; Neeli Gulmohar (Hindi)