Tecomella undulata Seem.

Tecomella undulata Seem. Family

Bignoniaceae

Tecomella undulata Seem. English Name

Forest Fire, Flame Of The Forest

Tecomella undulata Seem. Local Name

Lahura

Tecomella undulata Seem. Description

A small-sized deciduous tree. Heights of 12 m and diameters of 0.5 to 0.8 m are not uncommon. Leaves are opposite, simple and 3 to 9.5 cm long. The flowers are pale yellow to orange and appear in dense clusters from February to May. The fruit is a capsule or pod 17 to 34 cm long. The pods mature between April and July. It has no known insect or disease problems. It can be reproduced from seed. The seeds are winged, 2 cm long and broad. It is a very slow growing tree. Diameters of 5 to 8 cm in five years are not uncommon. Grains are straight, medium coarse and somewhat even textured. Wood is strong, resilient having specific gravity of 0.57 to 0.83

Tecomella undulata Seem. Distribution

The tree is native to Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. In Pakistan it occurs in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP. Planted along roads and canals. A moderately intolerant tree that grows on a variety of soils and sites. It requires a precipitation zone of 200 to 1200 mm/yr. It prefers an arid, semi-arid, hot sub-tropical winter monsoon climate with a temperature range of 0 to 45°C on elevations up to 1200 m. It is frost and drought hardy.

Tecomella undulata Seem. Uses

This very drought resistant tree has potential as a commercial cover crop on arid and semi-arid tracts of land that are now without vegetation. It is an attractive ornamental. It is also used for fuel, ornamental, furniture and carving, medicinal (flowers as a vermifuge) and agricultural implements purposes