THESPESIA POPULNEA. Lain.
Hibiscus populneus, Roxb. 1VIalaviscus populneus,Gter. Poresh, . . . EKNG. Bendi, . . . MAHE. POO-aras00, . . CAN. Bapariti, . . MALEAL. Pares pipal, . . DUKH. Supara sbavaka, . SANSK. Tulip tree, . . . ENG. Surya-gass„ . SINGH. Portia tree, . • fl Purse maram„ . TANI. Pahari pipal, . . HIND. Puvarasa maram, Imli Khorasani, . „ Gangaravi, . . . TEL.
This handsome tree is generally met with in Ceylon and in Southern India, in avenues or lining roads, but is in most abundance near the sea. It is of quick growth, and yields a good shade, but is inconyenient on road-sides anti in gardens, from the quantities of leaves it sheds, and the numerous large flowers which fall. It is commonly planted from cuttings, from which cause, perhaps, the tree is often hollow in the centre. It yields, when ripe, a very strong, hard, and durable timbdr, with a colour like mahogany, but its use is limited from the difficulty of getting it of large size. It is used for chairs in Madras. On the Bombay side, where it is found only near the coasts, it is much used in the construction of cart-wheel spokes, and for the timbers of native boats. The shoots are also in extensive use there as rafters for houses, and at all times fetch a good price when sold for this purpose. The Bombay
Government formed plantations of this tree at Sakuria in Alibagh, at Sat Tar, and in Colaba. The increasing scarcity of this tree is such, that wheel-spokes were at one time being paid for by the Gun-Carriage Department at 12 annas each. There are a pretty large number of these trees within the village precincta of many of the cultivators in the Konkan, but these are mostly reserved for the supply of choice rafters, afforded by the straight shoots of the tree, while the stem is most frequently hollow ; and therefore the ripe wood, or such of it as remains, is worthless for ordnance purposes. Though of rapid growth, its wood is not in much use. Some Ceylon cater pillars sting ; a greenish one, which occupies the Thespesia populnea at a certain stage in its growth, descends by a silken thread, and hurries away. The moth of this is supposed to be a Bombyx, near Cnethocampa. The capsules yield a yellow dye, which is used as a wash for cutaneous diseases, as is also the bark boiled in water, and the latter is given internally as an alterative.— Stephens ; Drs. Voigt, Wight, Thwaites, Gibson, Cleghorn ; Captain Beddome. •