Raman ji, may i ask where you took this photo in Bangalore? On Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 3:26 PM, raman <[email protected]> wrote:
> Java Olive is a tall, straight tree. Originally from East Africa and North > Australia, it grows freely down the West of the Peninsular, in Burma Ceylon > and South India. The grey bark is smooth, spotted with brown and faintly > ridged. The branches are whorled and usually horizontal, the numerous > branchlets gracefully up-curved and crowded at the ends with large, > palm-like leaves, remind one somewhat of the English Horse-chestnut. The > flowers, appearing early in February, form at the knotty ends of the > wrinkled old branchlets immediately beneath the new leaves and spread in > drooping rays as much as one foot in length. The reddish-green stems bear > numerous short branched stalks, each terminating in a crimson-brown flower. > The sepals, which look like petals, (there are no visible real petals), are > about 1-inch across, back-curling and varying in colour from yellow to pale > terracotta and to deep crimson and brown. But the main characteristic of > these flowers is their incredible stench. Coming across a Java Olive in > bloom ones would think that one was near an open sewer and any part of the > tree when bruised or cut emits this unpleasant odour. It is unfortunate as > the tree is extremely handsome; tall and straight, its well shaped crown > swathed in coral, often without a single touch of green, it stands out > amongst the surrounding verdure in great beauty and dignity. The seeds are > edible after toasting and taste like chestnuts (Castanea sativa ). They > also contain an oil that is used medicinally, while the timber is used for > making furniture and the bark for rope > > Raman >
