Karanj

Pongamia pinnata

A medium sized almost evergreen tree with a short crooked greyish brown bole which is usually smooth (but sometimes knobby) and spreading crown of bright green glossy feather-compound leaves.

Leaves: Feather compound. Oppositely arranged 3 pairs of bright green, thin, glossy leaflets with a slightly larger terminal one. Leaflets 2-5’’ long, whole leaf 8-14’’ long.

Bark: Greyish-brown, smooth, but sometime knobby (most likely they are swelling in response to injury)

Flower: Pinkish tiny pea-like flowers in short clusters

Fruit: flat, oval, 2’’ woody pod with a pointy beak. Green at first, pale brown or straw when mature. Not unlike a small mango vertically compressed.

Seasons: Leaves fall and almost immediately renewed in early part of summer (mid-March). Tree looks gay in glossy new leaves. Soon flowers start appearing (late March) and continues for almost two months. The pods mature in next year summer.

Range/Habitat: Many parts of India, including Sunderbans. Tend to glow near water and its pods are adapted for that. Outside India mainland Sri Lanka, Andamans, indo-china and northern Australia

Trivia & Comments: It is a native tree of lower Bengal. It prefers growing near water and is pretty wind and salinity resistant. Hence a good candidate for shoreline plantation that can act as wind break. Karaj leaves are disfigured by leaf-mining worms from winter onwards. Though the trees look bad because of this, apparently no significant harm is caused by this.

Where to Find: Quite a few karanj trees are there in Rabindra sarovar. One tree towards the lake shore from safari park beside a large, cemented bench. 22.51232N,88.36042E