Anjan
ANJAN TREE
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ANJAN Delhi's iconic tree (Cassia family) Hardwickia binata / Leaflets have no stalks of their own and are joined at their base. 4-5 arching veins in each leaflet. The twin leaflet is likened to a butterfly wings.   |
Anjan is a large tree deciduous. In its natural forest Anjan tree is an imperiously tall tree 11 storied high but it reaches less than half this height in Delhi. With drooping branches and small leaves, this is one of Delhi's most graceful trees specially in new leaves. The tiny white flowers are inconspicuous and easily overlooked. Planted somewhat tentatively along a few avenues in Lutyens's Delhi.
It has slender branches and tiny leaves. It grows well in dry climate and cannot stand water logging. Its leaves are shaped like a butterfly's wing. It is not ideal as an avenue tree, as it grows fairly large. Spot it at Sunder Nursery, Dara Shikoh Road, Pandara road. Non native species but grows well in Delhi.
A characteristic tree of dry open forest in C India and the deccan where it sometimes form pure stands. It grows on porous soil, but attains a great size on deep sandy soil. Seedlings throw all their energy into developing long taproots that penetrate fissures in rock to reach underlying moisture. It does not stand water logging.
Uses : Its bark fiber yields a strong rope. Cattle are specially found of its leaves. Anjan is among the hardest and heaviest of all Indian timbers. The sap wood is pale, the heartwood dark reddish brown often streaked with purple. It is exceedingly difficult to work but is close grained and finishes well It is also exceptionally durable. Anjan piles have been dug up from a riverbed after 20 years and found to be completely sound. The wood made an excellent charcoal.
Season :
Leaves : Shed in April new leaves tinged red in early May and trees look loveliest from June to August. Leaves have only two leaflets, each leaflet is up to 6 cm long with 4-5 main leaves. Mature foliage is dull greyish-green, but young leaves fall through tints of pink to an impossible light green before darkening.
Flower : August-September. Flowers in clusters. Whitish or greenish yellow, inconspicuous and easy to miss. very tiny loosly arranged
Fruit : Appears soon after the flowers, remaining till the following May.
Bark : Very dark, rough, cracked.
Can be confused with : one of the Kachnar perhaps but easily distinguished by its leaflets which are not joined along the middle but only at one single point.
Jangle jalebi has leaflet of similar shape but its leaves are twice feathered with side stalk containing 4 leaflets.
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