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 … 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


What a lovely write up of heart felt experience…
Your story of the purple allamanda sounds very familiar, that’s how I have stumbled onto many diagnosis my self… often suddenly, serendipity I think…
Have a wonderful walk…. walks…
could you show us /me some of your tree pictures from these walks?


Trees,
Shrubs, Climbers of Colabawoods Garden,Mumbai

39th
Tree Appreciation Walk on 2nd June, 2013















































No




Common Name




Botanical Name




Family





1.




Palay Rubber Vine




Cryptostegia grandiflora




Asclepiadaceae





2.




Shirish




Albizzia lebbeck




Mimosaceae





3.




Chinese Lantern




Koelreuteria elegans




Sapindaceae





4.




Son-chafa




Michelia champaca




Magnoliaceae





5.




Yellow Orchid




Bauhinia tomentosa




Caesalpiniaceae





6.




Siala




Markhamia lutea




Bignoniaceae





7.




Amaltas




Cassia fistula




Caesalpiniaceae





8.




Pygmy Date Palm




Phoenix roebelinii




Arecaceae





9.




Toon




Toona ciliata




Meliaceae





10.




Fiji Fan Palm




Pritchardia pacifica




Arecaceae





11.




Yellow Silk Cotton




Cochlospermum religiosum




Cochlospermaceae





12.




Karmal




Dillenia indica




Dilleniaceae





13.




Saptparni




Alstonia scholaris




Apocynaceae





14.




Kanak Champa




Pterospermum acerifolium




Sterculiaceae





15.




Rampe




Pandanus amaryllifolium




Pandanaceae





16.




Sita Ashok




Saraca asoca




Caesalpiniaceae





17.




Kadam




Neolamarckia cadamba




Rubiaceae





18.




Buddha’s Belly Bamboo




Bambusa ventricosa




Poaceae





19.




Gulmohar




Delonix regia




Caesalpiniaceae





20.




Kunti




Murraya paniculata




Rutaceae





21.




Bibla




Pterocarpus marsupium




Fabaceae





22.




Ghost Tree




Sterculia urens




Sterculiaceae





23.




Royal Palm




Roystonea regia




Arecaceae





24.




African Tulip




Spathodea campanulata




Bignoniaceae





25.




Jungli Badam




Sterculia foetida




Sterculiaceae





26.




Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow




Brunfelsia pauciflora




Solanaceae





27.




Yellow Oleander




Thevetia peruviana




Apocynaceae





28.




Buddha Belly Plant




Jatropha podagrica




Euphorbiaceae





29.




Bellyache Bush




Jatropha gossypifolia



Euphorbiaceae





30.




Yellow Alder




Turnera ulmifolia




Turneraceae





31.




Caricature Plant




Graptophyllum pictum




Acanthaceae





32.




Breadfruit




Artocarpus altilis




Moraceae





33.




Beach Spider Lily




Hymenocallis littoralis




Amaryllidaceae





34.




Dalchini




Cinnamomum zeylanicum




Lauraceae





35.




Bilimbi




Averrhoa bilimbi




Oxalidaceae





36.




Silver Oak




Grevillea robusta




Proteaceae





37.




Ambada




Spondias pinnata




Anacardiaceae





38.




Umbrella Tree




Brassaia actinophylla




Araliaceae





39.




Litchi




Nephelium litchi




Sapindaceae





40.




Bottle Brush




Callistemon citrinus




Myrtaceae





41.




Alu




Meyna laxiflora




Rubiaceae





42.




Beggar’s Bowl




Crescentia alata




Bignoniaceae





43.




Oleander/Kanher




Nerium oleander




Apocynaceae






Our next Tree Appreciation Walk is on 2nd June,13 in Colaba Woods Garden and the details are as under……..
Venue: Colaba Woods, Near Hotel President, Capt. Prakash Pethe Marg, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005.

Time: 7.30 a.m.

Duration of walk: 2 hours

Meeting Point: At the entrance (near the clock)……there is no entrance fees.

Colaba Woods is a small botanical garden maintained by Tata Power Ltd. It has groves of Saptaparni, Amaltas, Kadam, African Tulip, Bibla, Jangli Badam. Michelia champaka, Cassia fistula, Markhamia lutes, Bauhinia tomentosa are flowering profusely.

Hope to see you all on Sunday,


 
 
 

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