ENVIRONMENT The trees on the NGMA premises are a study in themselves
We are in an era where moonwalks are less of a
speciality than tree walks. Nevertheless, the tree walk organized by the
NGMA in their “arboretum” was more charming than its dance counterpart.
Guiding
what seemed to be quite a large turnout for a hot Saturday afternoon
was nature enthusiast Vijay Thiruvady of the Lalbagh heritage walk fame.
He led the group around the campus, talking about the trees in bloom
during this season. The “tree of the month” which was in full bloom in
the campus was the Red Silk Cotton Tree, or Bombax.
“The
trees drop their leaves in spring to face the onslaught of summer. At
this time, their flowers come out for the bees and birds to pollinate.
New leaves sprout once the summer is over and the monsoon starts.”
He
pointed out that the first references to the tree were made in Guru
Nanak's “Bara Masi”. Other historical references include the
Mahabharata. “It is said the Pitamah Brahma reposed against this tree
after creation. There is a similar tree in the Lalbagh gardens which has
larger buttresses. These trees, which grow largely in dry regions, can
reach a height of over 130 feet. There are different types of silk
cotton trees in India that produce white and yellow flowers,” he
explained.
He also talked about the many uses of the
silk cotton tree. Its cotton is used in pillows, while its wood is used
to make matchsticks. He went on to talk about Cassia marginata with its
light-coloured flowers and pipe-like pods with stacked coin-like seeds,
and the Rain Tree (Samanea saman). “The Rain Tree has terrific foliage
and a good shade. It is probably the only tree under which the grass
grows greener than in the perimeter. It derives its common name from the
insects in the tree, which make a watery sound. Sometimes one even
finds wet patches under the tree. It is known for its leaves which open
up during the day and fold up during the night.”
Another
tree that Vijay spoke at length about was the Rubber Fig or Ficus
elastica, which is indigenous to North-East India, mainly Assam. “The
British discovered the first rubber from this tree. Between 1840 and
1870, the tree was exploited for its rubber. But they soon found that
only limited quantities of rubber can be extracted from it, so they cut
off all the rubber trees in Assam.”
Then there is the
Sandalwood tree, which he said is a semi-parasite and has good chances
of survival only if paired with another tree close by. “Sandalwood trees
are complicated trees. It needs a specific bug in the soil, which is
found only in South India, apart from countries like Madagascar,
Indonesia and Australia. Sandalwood trees take about 30 to 40 years to
mature and start producing oil. The oil is found only in the heartwood,
though the roots are also clogged with oil. The best sandalwood oil,
with two per cent by weight, comes from Karnataka.”
Vijay also pointed out the Yellow Trumpet Tree, which was in bloom, the Pride of India and the Bougainvillea plant.
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