Common name: Flame of the Forest • Hindi: Palash पलाश, Dhak ढाक,
Tesu टेसू • Manipuri: পাঙ গোঙ Pangong • Marathi: पळस Palas
Botanical name: Butea monosperma Family: Fabaceae (pea family)
Synonyms: Butea frondosa, Erythrina monosperma, Plaso monosperma
Native to India, Flame of the Forest is a medium sized tree, growing
from t high, and the trunk is usually crooked and twisted with
irregular branches and rough, grey bark. The leaves are pinnate,
with an 8-16 cm petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet 10-20 cm
long. The hindi phrase ढाक के तीन पात ("Dhaak ke teen paat") comes
from the prominent three leaflets of this tree. It is seen in all
its ugliness in December and January when most of the leaves fall:
but from January to March it truly becomes a tree of flame, a riot
of orange and vermilion flowers covering the entire crown. These
flowers, which are scentless, are massed along the ends of the
stalks--dark velvety green like the cup-shaped calices--and the
brilliance of the stiff, bright flowers is shown off to perfection
by this deep, contrasting colour. Each flower consists of five
petals comprising one standard, two smaller wings and a very curved
beak-shaped keel. It is this keel which gives it the name of Parrot
Tree. In olden days, the flowers of Tesu were used to make color for
the festival of Holi. In Manipur, there is an interesting cultural
use of the wood of this tree with beautiful flowers - when a member
of the Meitei community dies and, for some reasons, his body cannot
be be found, the wood of this tree is cremated in place of the body.
A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to
commemorate this flower. |
