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Tree of nobility
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Amherstia nobilis is suitable for avenue planting as well as landscape gardening
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Noble tree The Simsapa
Amherstia nobilis, locally known as Simsapa, is one of the sacred trees of India. It belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae.
Simsapa was found in a temple garden in Burma in 1826 and hence famously known by the name ‘Pride of Burma.’ The generic name Amherstia comes from Countess Amherst, wife of a former governor of Burma.
The species name nobilis’ comes from the noble honour bestowed on the tree. The flowers are given a special place in Buddhist temples in Burma and Sri Lanka. Simsapa is rarely seen in India.
The Simsapa is a beautiful tree which grows up to 12 metres in height. It is suitable for avenue planting as well as landscape gardening.
A hot humid climate is preferred, and it will not grow well in dry arid regions. The soil should be rich. Propagation is usually by air layering. They are divided into about six pairs of oppositely placed leaflets. The tender leaves are mauve to purple in colour and later become bright green.
Flowering occurs between February and May. Petals are crimson red with two medium-sized petals yellow at the tip. The largest petal is broad and fan-shaped with a wavy upper margin and a yellow triangle extending from the lip down into the flower. This tree of beauty and rarity deserves further attention by tree lovers and gardeners.
G.S.UNNIKRISHNAN
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