Pterocarpus marsupium, Roxb.
Family : Leguminosae - Papilioniodeae
Common Name : Bijasal
Telugu Name : Yegisa

General :

It is a common tree of the moist and dry deciduous forests of Andhra Pradesh. Identified by imparipinnate (5-7 leaflets), coriaceous, dark green, shining leaves and exudation of red juice from the bark on incisions. It grows better on well-drained alluvial and sandy loam to loamy xoils.

Flowering :

Golden yellow flowers with dark calyx in large panicles appear from June to October. Flowering season is short.

Fruiting :
Pods ripen from December to March and become dark reddish brown in colour and remain on the tree upto end of May.
Morphology of the Fruit / Seed :
Pods flat, orbicular, winged, 3 to 5 cms in diameter, 1-seeded, indehiscent.
Seed Collection and Storage :
Pods are collected from February to May from the trees or from the ground. Pods are dried and stored in gunny bags. Viability is retained for one year.
Seed Biology :
No. of pods per Kg.
Germination percentage
Plant percent
No. of seedlings per Kg.
1935
45 to 50
20 to 30
532
Pretreatment :
Soaking the seeds for 72 hours in cold water or in cowdung slurry for 48 hours.
Nursery Technique :

Seed can be put in bigger polybags (because of fast development of root) in February to March; or the stumps can be prepared from one year old seedlings raised in primary bed.