Nature Quest: The flower of a single day

As the summer sets in, I keep a watchful eye on the Padauk rows in the capital's High Court and Hare Road areas lest I should miss a treat.

They, of course, have not betrayed the flower-lovers over the past few decades. Quite a few trees were in flower this year, a little sporadically though. This is typical of Padauk.

The flowers stay for a day only but blossom in different trees on different days. If one is lucky enough, he might see flowers in a couple of trees close together.

They resemble peltoforum (Kanakchura) in terms of abundance. It is not altogether unlikely to take it for peltoforum from afar.

Seeing flowers in the morning, I went to take pictures in the afternoon. The bright yellow flowers in the backdrop of a dazzling green leaves turned out to be a feast for the eyes.

The soft petals await their ending after a daylong gala. The pitiable petals slowly wither to be gathered under the trees. The next day, the traces of flowers are all gone! The flowers are unique for their short lives.

Professor Dwijen Sharma in his book Shamoli Nisorgo notes, "all the colors will be gone in a single day, leaving a heap of yellow on the ground under the trees."

Despite its transient life, Padauk is unparalleled in her colour, beauty, stature, fragrance and brightness. The longest avenue of Padauk in Dhaka is in Hare Road adjacent to Ramna Park.

These trees are likely to have been planted by the architect of green Ramna R L Prowdlock. Thus the trees are thought to be more than hundred plus years.

Apart from this, a few trees are found here and there in Dhaka. Padauk (Pterocarpus indicus) is a tall, deciduous tree with lots of leaves. The bent branches with dazzling green leaves make a spectacular sight.

The leaves are spread in singular row. The flowers are scented.  Fruits are round and flat. Carried by the wind, the mature fruits can travel a long distance.

Padauk wood is valuable and it can be used for making houses, musical instruments and furniture. The leaves can heal fever. With an abundance of bright green leaves, the tree provides a wealth of shade.

They are of Myanmar and Malay origin but can be found in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The tree reproduces by seed.

Padauk is a Burmese name but the tree is known by this name in our country. As per the IUCN survey, Padauks are an endangered species.