Xylia xylocarpa, Taub.
Family : Leguminosae - Mimosoideae
Common Name : Irul
Telugu Name : Konda Tangedu, Boja
General :
It is one of the chief associates of teak and occurs all along the Godavari river. It is identified by reddish grey bark exfoliating in large irregular flakes, leaves with one pair of pinnae at the end of the common petiole with a gland at the apex. Recommended for plantations on shallow, rocky, laterite soils. It does not grow well on black cotton soil.
Flowering :
Pale yellow coloured, sweet-scented flowers in long pedunculate globose heads appear in March to April.
Fruiting :
The thick, flat pods ripen during the ensuing cold season and the seeds falls during March to April.
Morphology of the Fruit / Seed :
Pods 10 to 15 cms by 2.5 to 6.0 cms in size, flat, woody, falcate-oblong, light brown, globose, elastically dehiscent. Seeds 6 to 10, ovoid, compressed, 1.3 to 1.6 cms by 0.5 to 10 cm in size, brown, polished.
Seed Collection and Storage :
The ripe pods are gathered from the tree as soon as they dehisce. They are dried in the sun to open and seeds are collected which are dried and stored. The viability is retained upto one year.
Seed Biology :
No. of seeds per Kg.
Germination percentage
Plant percent
Period of Germination in days
No. of seedlings per Kg. of seeds
3,350
90
80
7 to 15
2,700
Pretreatment :
Not required.
Nursery Technique :

Nursery raised seedlings do not stand planting out well owing to injury to root. Direct sowing in well-loosened patches at 2 mts, intervals in rows 3 mts, apart is advocated. Plantations of this species is not common as it's natural regeneration is very good.