Tectona hamiltoniana

Tectona hamiltoniana Wall.,  Pl. Asiat. Rar. 3: 68 1832. (Syn: Jatus hamiltonianus (Wall.) Kuntze; Tectona ternifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.; Theka ternifolia Buch.-Ham.);
Images by Usha Desai, (inserted by Bhagyashri Ranade)

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Submitting Tree Species: Tectona hamiltoniana
Family: Verbenaceae
Photographed in July 2007
Site: Kolkata Botanical Garden, Shibpur
Tree ID: Identified and labeled by Bot Garden Botanists
UD note:
Both of these trees are planted in Bengal  and rest of the NE India as garden and Avenue trees in Urban landscapes..
This Tectona has a distinctly different Bark habit than the T. Grandis tree….
T.  Hamiltoniana bark is brownish grey and peels of in roundish patches revealing a pale grey patch, which darkens as it ages… it also flowers earlier (April and May) than T. Grandis (July and August), and T. Hamiltoniana leaves are only a  7-8 inches long..
T. Grandis is used for red and yellow dyes (leaves) and Wood for medicinal purposes for heachache and inflammatory conditions, besides being used for railway treks and furniture making…
Much has been written about Tectona Grandis… and large plantations exist in India, Burma, Indonesia and around the world…
Not much writings about T. Hamiltoniana, although its wood is described as being heavier, better shine taker when used in cabinetry,
Yet neglected , as far back as 1978 it was reported as part of list of “Species Undergoing Genetic Impoverishment” …
Dont know if things have changed!!!
Tectona hamiltonian is a native of Burma…
Used to be planted in Calcutta as specimen (as in Kol Bot G, where I took the picture in 2007) and sometimes on streets.
In the 40’s its was listed as being present in the grounds of  the zoo and near maidan… need to track them…
donot know if they have survived…  the years, pollution, rain, human greed etc..
I discovered on the net that it likes calcareous sandstone, as found in dry central parts of Burma… may be that’s why it never overlaps with regions where Tectona grandis grows.
May be that’s why it never seems to have taken off in Calcutta  where  even Hooker seems to have planted a few…
it does produce seeds but they do not seem to find a toehold in the rich fertile,, often soggy soil…

 

 
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