Special species of Babool tree found after 68 years

JAIPUR: After 68 years, a species of Babool tree has been found on a hilltop in Dhaar village in Udaipur district. Accacia Eburnea, this tree was last recorded in north-western part of Rajasthan in Botanical Survey of India in 1951. After that no written record of this species was present in Rajasthan until now, when five such trees have been found.
Retired forest expert from Rajasthan Forest Service, Satish Sharma while exploring the area claims to have found these trees on a hilltop in Dhaar village situated 15 km away from Udaipur city. While talking to TOI he explained, “In 1951, in first volume of Fauna of Rajasthan in Botanical Survey of India this tree was mentioned by B S Sankhla as he found this tree in north-western region of the state. After that, this tree is not mentioned anywhere. North Western is a dry region but Udaipur is a humid area. In Dhar village I found five trees, three are big and two are small in size.”
Former Chief Conservator of Forest and Wildlife Udaipur, Rahul Bhatnagar says that it is positive news for the Marwar region. “Earlier, it was recorded in north-western region but finding it in Udaipur region is a positive sign for the ecology of the area. Its seeds will be preserve in the nursery and trees should be protected.”
The speciality of this tree is that its stem is yellow in color while other varieties of Babool tree in Rajasthan are either of white stem or black. Entire tree blossoms with yellow flowers in winter season but the tree sheds its leaves in summer leaving behind only beans i.e. fruits of tree on the branches.
Sharma explains, “In other varieties of Babool, fruits fall on the ground and burst open once they dry out. While in this variety, its fruit dries on the branches before bursting open. It seeds fall on the ground enabling more trees to grow. It is a good sign that these trees are still found in Rajasthan.”
Now preserving the seeds of the tree and keeping the trees protected have become a priority for the administration. Shashi Supong, Deputy Forest Officer (North) says that department will soon identify the area where the trees are situated and mark them. “We will start the work of preserving the seeds for future and plant them in our nursery. It is also necessary to preserve the trees and they will be marked to prevent villagers from cutting them.”