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Small: to medium-sized; deciduous
Bark: pale brown, smooth or flaking thinly
Leaves: large, smooth, on short stout, stout stalks tapering at both ends; turning red before falling
Flowers: mauve, pink or lilac, in large, erect clusters, petals crinkly, stamens numerous
Fruit: nearly spherical, woody, about 2 cm long, splitting open when dry; fruit-cup with short, triangular lobes
FLOWERS: pink, mauve or lilac, about 7 cm wide, in large, erect, branching clusters. Starting from the base, the flowers begin to open before dawn, but only a few at a time. Old flowers fade to pale pink or white. Each flower has 6 (rarely 7) spoon-shaped petals, very crinkly and wavy.
SEASONS-LEAVES: start turning red and purple in December and are shed in February-March. New leaves in April. FLOWERS: from late April to June; another fush in the rains. FRUIT are formed by August, remaining for long on the tree.
Where to See It: Common in parks, gardens and traffic roundabouts. Jorbagh has many fine trees; Aurobindo Marg has a short row near Safdarjang flyover. Oddly, it is rarely planted as an avenue tree in Delhi. Absent from the Ridge.
LEAVES: smooth, shiny, up to 26 cm long on short, strong leaf stalks. Somewhat like a mango's, only broader and longer, tapering at both ends. new foliage emerges pink; old leaves turn blotchily dark red or purple before falling.
Fruit: an oval, woody capsule about 3 cm long, crowned with a tiny spike, turning from olive green to black as it matures. The triangular lobes of the supporting fruit-cup are folded well back.
BARK: pale brown or ash, flaking thinly. Older trees develop patches of rough bark with shallow, vertical fissures.
HABITAT: A tree of relatively open country in moist, secondary forest or grassland, often near streams. It prefers rather more rainfall than it gets in Delhi but is evidently drought-hardy. It does not grow tall in the open but in a dense forest can reach 30 m or more with a broad, spreading canopy. Delhi's jaruls get mercilessly lopped in winter in order to induce a new flush of leaves and flowers.
Range: Wild in the NE states and all along the W Ghats, in Sri Lanka, Bangaldesh and Myanmar. Its natural range extends eastwards through Thailand and Malaysia to Indonesia S China and the Philippines.
Uses: The bark and leaves have astringent and purgative properties. In Indonesia the leaves are prescribed for abdominal pains and a decoction of bodies leaves has proven qualities in reducing blood sugar levels. The seeds are said to be narcotic. In 19th century Burma, Jarul was the timber most highly valued after teak. It is pale red when freshly sawn, darkening to a handsome reddish brown. it is used for construction work and to make carts, wagons, boxes, panelling, gunstocks and is also durable underwater.
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