Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/459

DEOUGHT BESISTING PLANTS IN THE DECCAN. 37 The soil round the roots only contained 1"20 per cent, of available moisture.

Out of the very few species of Gramineae in the present list, this grass occurred as a densely tufted perennial with fibrous roots. It is doubtful if this had been actually growing during the complete drought as it looked as if it was just sprouting when collected.

This is a fair fodder grass and its position here is noteworthy as about the only true grass in the list which perhaps continued to live or grow at the time the enquiry was made.

In addition to the above plants in this tract which were all herbaceous or shrubby, of which samples of soil were collectad for moisture determination and of which the nature of the roots was also examined, the following plants of all kinds were found living in the tract under discussion. The frequency of the plants and the peculi- arities they possess have been given below. Their probable relation with drought resistance has been indicated in the summary which follows : —

Trees.

1. Feronia Elephantum Corr.— Occasional, planted. A thorny plant. The leaves are pinnate and the leaflets more or less divided and small.

2. Ailanthus excelsa Boxb. — Occasional. The leaves are pinnate and the leaflets are more or less divided.

3. Melia Azadirachta L. — ommon, planted or self-sown. The leaves are pinnate and the leaflets slightly indented.

4. Mangifera indica L. — Bather common, planted.

5. Butea frondosa Konig. — Bather common, in hilly parts. A deciduous tree.

6. Cassia Fistula L. — In hilly parts, occasional, in full flower at the time, the leaves being deciduous.

7. Tamarindus indica L— Bather common, planted. The leaves are pinnate and the leaflets very small.

8. Parkin SOliia aculeata L.— Occasional. A prickly plant with pinnate leaves and very small leaflets.

9. Acacia arabica Willd — Very common. A prickly plant with pinnate leaves and very small leaflets.

10. Prosopis specigera L. — Bather common. A prickly plant with pinnate leaves and very small leaflets. Leaves collected and fed to cattle.

11. Diospyros melanoxylon Boxb. — Bather common in hilly parts. The leaves are tomentose.

12. Salvadora oleoides Dene.— Not very common, planted? The leaves are rather small and narrow. They are provided with