Friends Colaba Woods is very close to my heart for it was here that in 1993,I started my discovery of trees.I have many interesting memories....One day I was standing on a bench to see the few flowers of Shirish[*Albizzia lebbeck*],when a young man brought me down on the ground & said at your age you should not be doing this, what if you fall down.He immediately stood up on the bench and got the flowers & said"Are you a botanist?" "No I love trees....and you have a beautiful garden...there are pathways of Amaltas,Gulmor,Kachnar,Pitchkari,Scarlet cordia....and you have groves of Saptparni,Sita Ashok,Karmal,Kanakchampa,Kadam...He just stopped me & said-mam,I am Yadav,descendent of Krishna and I have been coming here for two years and never knew Kadam exists here...Please show me.... Just at the entrance of the woods on either side there are scandent climbers with purple trumpet flowers,shiny green leaves and Rajsthani * muchhi* like pods....for 12 years I did not know what it was..a friend of mine from Goa said it is Purple Allamanda,I was so elated,went through the Allamand genus but nothing matched. Then few years ago indiatreepix Google group came up and we put up the pictures and wow,it was diagnosed by Dr.Neil as Cryptostegia grandiflora..The Palay Rubber Vine..Incidentally it has many common names,including Purple Allamanda Koelreuteria elegans was identified by Renee through Pradip Krishen's book and flowersofindia.net Bilimbi by Dr Sheila for it is a common tree from Goa and she is from Goa Litchi by one of the walkers when she saw me daily standing in front of the tree and trying to find floowers and fruits...one day she just tapped my shoulder and said that is Litchi,I am from up north so I know it well,and do not search for fruits..it does not fruit here..may be the weather..... So friends if you want to hear more stories do join us on Sunday 2nd June at Colaba Woods,Cuffe Prade next to Hotel President
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List of the trees of Colabawoods.docx
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