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Monday, July 26, 2010

One of the Finest Overnite BIRDING trail near Mumbai City - Phansad

TRIP PLAN: BIRDING ROADTRIP

DESTINATION – ALIBAUG – KASHID - PHANSAD – MURUD GRANDPRIX (source - Mumbai Nature Guide by Sunjoy Monga, personal experiences, blogs)


DAY 1

5: 00 AM - Depart from Mumbai towards Alibaug by Car

ROUTE –

8: 00 AM – PITSTOP 1: - DHARAMTAR CREEK BRIDGE - 3 KM From Vadkhal Jn (after Pen, the junction where left road continues as Mumbai – Goa Road) - 5 Mins Pitstop

8:15 AM – PITSTOP 2: - POND WITH HERBAGE 1KM post Poynad

Karlekhind Jn – Saral – Rewas Creek edge – Mandwa – back to Alibag via Kankeshwar and Kihim - 5 Mins Pitstop


9: 00 AM - PITSTOP 3 – KANAKESHWAR TEMPLE HILL (on the Alibaug - Mandve Road)

Take a slight detour (3km to be exact) from Chodi village to the holy Kanakeshwar Temple (close to Kihim). The climb up to the temple of about 700 steps shouldn't take more than 45 minutes. This is called as Alibaug’s Very own mini silent hill station -2 Hours of amazing Trek and Birding Experience


11:00 AM: PITSTOP 4 - DHOKAVDE POND - 5 Mins Pitstop (end of Alibaug - Mandve road)


11:30 AM: PITSTOP 5 – AKSHI BEACH - But first reach Ramdhaneshwar near Alibaug for a Raptor watch before Akshi Beach- 15 Mins Pitstop


12:30 AM: PITSTOP 5 – REVDANDA BRIDGE- 5 Mins Pitstop


1: 00 PM: PITSTOP 6 – MAHUA FARMS RESORT / SEA SHELL RESORT (Near Phansad)- 3 Hours Pitstop for Resting & Lunch


3: 30 PM: PITSTOP 6 – MURUD FORT AND BEACH - Evening snacks at Murud Beach. Visit Fort “Janjira” for Wader and Raptor watch. Back to Resort.

DAY TWO

6: 00 AM: PITSTOP 7 - PHANSAD WLS TREK


Start early morning for Trek at Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary

Visit the Grassland patches and Waterholes (Gunyacha Maal, Chikhalgaan & Phansadgaan) Chikhalgan and Phansadgan are perennial water sources and are also filled with insect & birdlife)

Visit the Sacred Groves (near Supegaon - a great place to see some birds that like to inhabit the fringe of the forest) visit the Periphery of forests .

The Open Grasslands or Mals -the forest suddenly gives way to open grasslands in small pockets through most of the Sanctuary, these make great spots for seeing good fly-pasts and viewing Mammals (though mainly at night).


6:00 PM: DEPART FOR MUMBAI

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

AAREY MILK COLONY BIRDING TRAIL


This trail can be covered by a Car or on foot. However Car / 2 wheeler would be needed to cover the entire trail in a given morning. Around 125 species of Birds has been recorded at Aarey. I have also found out that invariably every species of bird has a prominent place in Aarey where chances of spotting them are very high. For E.g: Oriental magpie robbins can be spotted easily at Panchavati Gardens, parakeets & kites near Aarey guest house, Baya Weavers in Green Tunnel Lane, Vultures and other raptors at the Carcass point, pied starlings on Bald Hill etc. The most common bird of Aarey has to be Cattle egrets (and rightly so). Aarey is a good Birding destination both in morning and in evening. The Top 14 points at which sightings of Birds of Aarey are high has been listed in the Map below (relate each point with number and details given below map). Around 10 minutes can be spent at each point. Watch out for snakes & reptiles on the trail. Stay clear from them.

(Disclaimer – I’ve prepared this blog in a hurry. Please ignore the grammatical errors. Over due course, I shall proof read this :) (Regret the bad map quality. I am in process of creating the image in photoshop to enhance the clarity. If someone volunteers todo that it will go long way in helping us)

(Click on Image to Enlarge the Image or access the PDF version of the Image by CLICKING HERE )

1. The Birds Playground: The Aarey Welcoming Trees

Location - After paying the Aarey toll (from Goregaon side) take the second right and then immediate left. Walk for 100 meters. This area is denoted by large trees extending from a small temple till further 300-400 mts parallel to the road on left hand side.

These huge trees at the entrance may be one of the noisiest sections in whole of aarey. This site can be termed as bird’s playground. Mynas, Doves, koels, bulbuls, cuckoos, crows, drongos etc are at play here.

2. The Small Hillock

From the playground site walk further inside Aarey. You will cross 2-3 small living huts the and then cattle-feed growing land on the right hand side. You will also cross 1 small bridge. There will be an immediate left turn. Do not take the left, walk straight. Pass the Buffalo shed on right and cross the small bridge number 2. Just after that on the left hand side there is a small elevation, which can be easily climbed. This is a great hiding point. Once can sit on the small hillock without being spotted by birds. This hillock overlooks a small pond. Eurasian thicknee, White breasted hen (good chance), Pond heron (almost everytime), Greater coucal (almost everytime), Egrets (everytime), Kingfishers can often be sighted here. Birds continue their chirping in this section also. Often you will hear lot of birds (copper smith barbarets, robins, mynas in particular on the neighboring trees).

One can go on the other side of the pond and after 100 mts of walking (in the dense trees) and come out in an open field. Here one can easily sight oriental magpie robins, leafbirds etc. Greater Coucal nests can also amongst trees during the walk. Note - Crows can be very menacing in this section.

Caution – This site can be filthy but the efforts may be worth it J

3 & 4. The Green Tunnel Lane:

Turn back from the Site 2 (Small Hillock) and take the left you missed earlier. The lane is so called as trees on both the sides almost covers top of major section of the lane. In middle of the lane, there are couple of coconut trees on the right hand side where lots of Baya Weaver nests can be found hanging. Towards the left hand side drongos, doves, prinias can easily be sighted (mostly on the electric wires).

5. Chotta Kashmir Pond / The Bald Hill and the approach road:

From the Site 4, keep moving towards temple and reach main aarey road. Take the right and reach Chotta Kashmir Pond. Kingfishers, Cormorants, domesticated ducks / geese, gulls can be found in and around the Chhota Kashmir Pond during wee hours.

Post birding session at Chotta Kashmir, come back on the main Aarey road and cross the chhota Kashmir pond car park (just ahead) and after 200 meters walk, there is a small left. This is the approach road towards the bald hill. On this road, one can spot bathing cisticolas, bulbuls, prinias, fantails, ioras, petronias etc (just out from chotta Kashmir pond). Cars cannot go up to the Bald Hill. Just when the straight approach road is about to turn auto left, park your car at that point. Immediately in the front (towards right side), there is a walkable dusty road which goes further right and finally to the top of small hill (not visible in monsoons though). This hill is Bald Mountain.

Bald Hill is so called, as the top of the hill is plain area with only some patches of trees on the circumference. Huge number of Asian Pied starlings and common mynas can be found on this plain area of the hill. On the peripheral trees, number of Kites and egrets can easily be spotted. This area in evening can be a photographers delight. (Note - The hill cannot be accessed in monsoon as the road, which leads to the hill, gets covered with vegetation). Watch out for snakes and other reptiles here.

6. Tribal Area Lane:

From Site 5, come back on aarey road and reach the main aarey junction (aarey market). Take the right towards Aarey Nursery. There would be a 5 mins long drive on this road, cross the tribal village, drive a bit and park the car. The huge field on left handside will yield good sightings of many birds specially orioles, doves & Weavers.

7. Egret Park:

Drive straight from site 6 to reach site 7. One can find maximum number of egrets in this location, courtesy of a huge buffalo shed. To see the number of egrets can be quite a sight.

8. Base of Swimming Pool Mountain:

This is where the swimming pool mountain starts (the mountain has a man made swimming pool on top). Cars have to be parked near the shed and it usually takes 2 mins of walking from the park towards the mountain to reach Site 8. This area can surprise a Birder. In the evening swifts and bats fly at very low altitude. Mongoose & snakes can often be sighted here. This place has a bit of squeakiness associated to it.

9. Carcass Point :

Carcass of dead buffaloes are disposed here. This attracts vultures and other raptors. This is the best place to spot last remaining vultures in heart of the city (very rarely sighting though). Cars have to be parked on main road and one has to walk on this branched road. 9 out of 10 times one will also find a spotted dove here. Biggest of Aarey eagles can be found here.

10. Panchavati Garden:

This place can also be called as Oriental Magpie Robin Garden as huge number of magpie robins can be sighted here. One can just sit on the benches kept and wait for robins to come close. This area may soon be destroyed as it has been given to Force 1 Commandoes to set up a base. Save Aarey Milk Colony Facebook community is protesting the same.

11. Lotus Pond (only in monsoon):

The last remaining pond *with herbage) gets filled up in only in monsoon and is dry otherwise. Ducks, Grebes, jacanas have been sighted here during monsoons. However the sighting of these birds is very rare.

12. Aarey Guest House Hill:

This is a 5-7 minute steep climb in car to reach Aarey Guest House. Parakeets can be easily spotted next to Aarey guest house. Further up next to wireless tower once can find number of Kites hunting. This is a restricted access lane however walkers and birders should have no issues in traversing throughout this area. Cameras may not be permitted here. Peacocks were found in this area at one point of time (sadly no more). Very Rarely racket tailed drongo can also be spotted here. The peace and tranquility, which exists in this area, is unparallel. This is one of the last remaining untouched places at Aarey.

Note – The site has only one entrance. It cannot be approached by any other road.

13. Aarey School :

From Site 12, head back on the main Aarey Road. At Aarey Junction (Aarey market) take a right and then second right. Follow the map and reach Aarey school. Leave the road and enter the bushes right next to Aarey School gate. Since this area being slightly at high altitude and overlooking a slope downwards, also the bushes here are generally dry (non monsoon), large number of birds can easily be sighted here. Parakeets are very prominent at this place.

14. Powai Lake :

An awesome end to the Aarey Trail. The long powai lake promenade is now redone which traverses the half of lake’s circumference. Terns, kingfishers, ducks, egrets, Herons, gulls, cormorants, kites, plovers, stilts, flamingoes (rarely) and other waders swarm this lake.

Note - Boating may start soon which will affect the birding here.

(COMING SOON - PICTURES OF EACH SITE)
- JOIN US ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY - "SAVE AAREY MILK COLONY"

Sunday, July 18, 2010

BIRDING TRAILS : KARNALA - URAN ROAD - NAVI MUMBAI TALAWE - 5th JUNE 2010


These 2-3 Birding sites can be combined for a good Long Birding Morning. Unfortunately because of widespread destruction at URAN, the same cannot be recommended as a standalone site anymore.

NAVI MUMBAI TALAWE SITE MAP - (immediately next to TS Chanakya Building on Palm Beach Road, Vashi)


(Red dot indicates the 2 opposite Talawe sites. The small pond on the opposite side of Navi Mumbai Talawe also can yield good bird sightings)

Karnala Bird Sanctuary Map
(The best Birding site in Karnala is just next to Rest Houses (Some Birds are kept in Cages here) at the Entrance of the Sanctuary. There are benches placed overlooking the forest. Atleast 45 Mins should be spent here. I would recommend taking 2-3 trails which branches out from this site where Cages are kept. One should not climb the hill or go deep in the trail just be in circumference of this Main Site (Cages).

Note - Uran map is not given as one just has to drive on the Uran Road / Jasai area and keep looking for ponds on either sides. The earlier established big ponds are destroyed now.

Trip report by my companion Petros

List of birds observed

1. Little Cormorant
2. Indian Pond-heron
3. Eastern Cattle Egret
4. Great Egret
5. Intermediate Egret
6. Little Egret
7. Eurasian Spoonbill
8. Lesser Flamingo
9. Lesser Whistling-duck
10. Indian Spot-billed Duck
11. Black Kite
12. Crested Serpent-eagle
13. White-eyed Buzzard
14. Purple Swamphen
15. Black-winged Stilt
16. Red-wattled Lapwing
17. Rock Pigeon
18. Greater Coucal
19. Brown-headed Barbet
20. House Crow
21. Large billed Crow
22. Common Myna
23. Paddyfield Pipit
24. Common Iora
25. Common Woodshrike
26. Black-hooded Oriole
27. Black Drongo
28. Ashy Drongo
29. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
30. Ashy Prinia
31. Plain Prinia
32. Red-whiskered Bulbul
33. Common Tailorbird
34. Oriental Magpie-Robin
35. White-rumped Shama
36. Indian Black Robin (Indian Robin)
37. Indian Pitta

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE IMAGES or FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171003&id=536552549&l=89102ff86e

AIROLi CREEK - BIRDING TRAIL - 3rd July 2010

(This trail may be destroyed by the time you would try to go as a "International Consulate Enclave project is being constructed here - on the exact Birding Trail. Check the WikiMapia link by Clicking Here or follow this link - http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=19.1411545&lon=72.9865122&z=15&l=0&m=b&search=IDEB)

AIROLI CREEK - is often touted as one of the best Birding sites 'IN' the city of Mumbai. You dont have to travel far as the creek is easily accessible. Unfortunately rapid real estate construction is happening on one side of Airoli Creek which will impact birding in this area. What remains to be seen is whether the Birding reservoir would be completely destroyed like erstwhile Mecca of Mumbai Birding - URAN.


(Red dots indicate the Birding Trail. One can also get down from the bridge and have a look for birds below the Airoli bridge)

List of birds observed (prepared by companion Petros Isaakidis)

  1. Little Cormorant
  2. Little Heron (Striated Heron)
  3. Indian Pond-heron
  4. Cattle Egret
  5. Grey Heron
  6. Intermediate Egret
  7. Little Egret
  8. Lesser Flamingo
  9. Black-shouldered Kite
  10. Black Kite
  11. Brahminy Kite
  12. White-breasted Waterhen
  13. Red-wattled Lapwing
  14. Common Black-headed Gull
  15. Spotted Dove
  16. Alexandrine Parakeet (Aarey)
  17. Asian Koel (Aarey)
  18. Greater Coucal
  19. White-throated Kingfisher
  20. House Crow
  21. Large-billed Crow
  22. Common Myna
  23. Asian Pied Starling
  24. Little Green Bee-eater
  25. Eurasian Golden Oriole
  26. Black Drongo
  27. White-throated Fantail
  28. White-browed Fantail ???????????????
  29. Greater Short-toed Lark
  30. Zitting Cisticola
  31. Grey-breasted Prinia
  32. Ashy Prinia
  33. Plain Prinia
  34. Red-vented Bulbul
  35. White-eared Bulbul
  36. Yellow-eyed Babbler
  37. Oriental Magpie-Robin
  38. Indian Robin
  39. Red Avadavat
  40. Scaly-breasted Munia
  41. Black-headed Munia
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE IMAGES or FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171003&id=536552549&l=89102ff86e

Monday, July 5, 2010

TREES PLANTED AT AAREY : VARIOUS INDIAN TREES

(source - wikipedia)


1) Gulmohar / Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant from the Fabaceae family, noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. Often grown as an ornamental tree and given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant, it is also known as Gulmohar (Hindi and Urdu), KrishnachuRa (Bengali), Malinche, and Tabachine, and one of several named the Flame tree. The species was previously placed in a genus Poinciana, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy who is credited with introducing the plant to the Americas. The tree's vivid red/vermilion/orange/yellow flowers and bright green foliage make it an exceptionally striking sight.

The Royal Poinciana is endemic to Madagascar, where it is found in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. In the wild it is endangered, but it is widely cultivated elsewhere. In addition to its ornamental value, it is also a useful shade tree in tropical conditions, because it usually grows to a modest height but spreads widely, and its dense foliage provides full shade. In areas with a marked dry season, it sheds its leaves during the drought, but in other areas it is virtually evergreen.


2) Rain Tree / Albizia saman is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the Neotropics. Its range extends from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil, but it has been widely introduced to South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. Common names include Saman, Rain Tree and Monkey Pod (see also below). It is often placed in the genus Samanea,[1] which by yet other authors is subsumed in Albizia entirely.

Saman is a wide-canopied tree with a large symmetrical crown. It usually reaches a height of 25 m (82 ft) and a diameter of 40 m (130 ft). The leaves fold in rainy weather and in the evening, hence the name Rain Tree and 5 o'clock Tree (Pukul Lima) in Malay. Several lineages of this tree are available e.g. with reddish pink and creamish golden colored flowers.



3) SAPTAPARNI / Alstonia scholaris (Apocynaceae, commonly called Blackboard tree, Indian devil tree, Ditabark, Milkwood pine, White cheesewood and Pulai; syn. Echites scholaris L. Mant., Pala scholaris L. Roberty) is an evergreen, tropical tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Alstonia scholaris is a small tree that grows up to 40 m tall and is glabrous. The bark is greyish; branchlets are copiously lenticellate.
The upperside of the leaves are glossy, while the underside is greyish. Leaves occur in whorls of 3-10; petioles are 1-3 cm; the leathery leaves are narrowly obovate to very narrowly spathulate, base cuneate, apex usually rounded; lateral veins occur in 25-50 pairs, at 80-90° to midvein. Cymes are dense and pubescent; peduncle is 4-7 cm long. Pedicels are usually as long as or shorter than calyx. The corolla is white and tube-like, 6-10 mm; lobes are broadly ovate or broadly obovate, 2-4.5 mm, overlapping to the left. The ovaries are distinct and pubescent. The follicles are distinct and linear.


4) Haldina cordifolia, syn. Adina cordifolia, also known as Kadam or Kadamba in Hindi, is a flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae, the sole species in the genus Haldina. It is native to southern Asia, from India east to southern China and Vietnam.

It is a deciduous tree that can grow well over 20 metres high. many people think the flowers are insignificant individually but are very pretty when they bloom together in balls with a circumference of 2 to 3 cm. They are usually yellow in colour often tinged with a shade of pink. Kadam is at its blossoming best during winter. The bark of the tree acts as an antiseptic.


5) Parijat / Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Night-flowering Jasmine) is a species of Nyctanthes, native to southern Asia, from northern Pakistan and Nepal south through northern India and southeast to Thailand.
It is a shrub or a small tree growing to 10 m tall, with flaky grey bark. The leaves are opposite, simple, 6–12 cm long and 2–6.5 cm broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are fragrant, with a five- to eight-lobed white corolla with an orange-red centre; they are produced in clusters of two to seven together, with individual flowers opening at dusk and finishing at dawn. The fruit is a flat brown heart-shaped to round capsule 2 cm diameter, with two sections each containing a single seed.
The natives of Chhattisgarh are aware of medicinal uses of all parts of Parijat. They use the seeds in treatment of Bavasir (Piles). Daily one seed with water is recommended as treatment. This treatment is continued up to complete cure. The seeds are crushed and aqueous paste is prepared. The patients suffering from piles are advised by the natives to apply fresh paste externally on piles, along with the internal use of seeds. This treatment is simple and very effective. In treatment of gout, the natives use the decoction of Parijat flowers. This decoction is given up to one week during the time of attack. As treatment, it is given up to one month in a year. The natives of Sarguja region use the leaves of Parijat in many ways. In treatment of dry cough, the leaf juice with Shahad (Honey) is given internally. The aqueous paste of leaves is used externally in treatment of skin related troubles specifically in treatment of ring worm. The natives of Bastar region, prepare a special herbal oil by boiling fresh leaves in Sarson (Mustard) oil and use it externally in treatment of same troubles.
Parijat appears in several Hindu myths. In one myth, which appears in Bhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana, Parijat appeared as the result of the Samudra manthan (Churning of the Milky Ocean). In another myth, Parijat was brought to earth by Krishna from Indra's garden.

In Hindu mythology, there is a story involving Lord Krishna about a parijat and Krishna's two wives, Satyabhama and Rukmini. Satyabhama wanted this "Parijat" tree from the Heaven to be planted in her garden. Rukmini too, took a fancy to the flower. Krishna, wanting to keep both his wives happy, planted this tree so that the flowers fell in Rukmini’s garden while the tree remained in Satyabhama’s garden.[citation needed]
The tree was planted in the garden of Indra, the Lord of Heavens. Even as Krishna stole a branch of the tree he was spotted by Indra. However, Indra desisted from placing a curse on Krishna since he was an incarnation of Vishnu. Still, Indra put forth a curse on the stolen branch that it will never bear fruit even though the flowers may bloom on the tree. Since the day the tree was planted at Barabanki (the wives' garden), it flowers but does not reproduce, because it has no seeds and the branch cannot take root.


6) Couroupita guianensis / Kailashpati, whose common names include Ayahuma and the Cannonball Tree, is an evergreen tree allied to the Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa), and is native to tropical northern South America and to the southern Caribbean. In India it is growing for the past two or three thousand years at least, as attested by textual records, hence it is possible that it was native to India also. It's part of the family Lecythidaceae and grows up to 25m in height. The Cannonball Tree is so-called because of its brown cannon ball-like fruits. The majority of these trees outside their natural environment have been planted as a botanical curiosity, as they grow very large, distinctive flowers. Its flowers are orange, scarlet and pink in color, and form large bunches measuring up to 3 m in length. They produce large spherical and woody fruits ranging from 15 to 24 cm in diameter, containing up to 200 or 300 seeds apiece.


7) Desi badam / Terminalia catappa is a large tropical tree in the Leadwood tree family, Combretaceae. The tree has been spread widely by humans and the native range is uncertain. It has long been naturalised in a broad belt extending from Africa to Northern Australia and New Guinea through Southeast Asia and Micronesia into the Indian Subcontinent. More recently the plant has been introduced to parts of the Americas. Common names include , Bengal almond, Singapore almond , Ebelebo, Malabar almond, Indian almond, Tropical almond, Sea almond, Beach Almond, Talisay tree, Umbrella tree, Abrofo Nkatie (Akan) and Zanmande (creole).

It grows to 35 metres (115 ft) tall, with an upright, symmetrical crown and horizontal branches. The Terminalia catappa has corky, light fruit that is dispersed by water. The nut within the fruit is edible when fully ripe,tasting almost like almond. As the tree gets older, its crown becomes more flattened to form a spreading, vase shape. Its branches are distinctively arranged in tiers.


8) Putranjiva is a plant genus of the family Putranjivaceae. Along with Drypetes (of the same family), it contains mustard oils as a chemical defense against herbivores. The ability to produce glucosinolates is believed to have evolved only twice, in the Putranjivaceae and the Brassicales.

The rosid family Putranjivaceae is composed of about 210 species of evergreen tropical trees distributed into 4 genera. Members of this family have 2-ranked coriaceous leaves, which, if fresh, typically have a radish-like or peppery taste. The flowers are fasciculate and usually small, and the fruits of these species are a single-seeded drupe crown by the persistent stigmas. This family has its origin in Africa and Malesia.


9) Bahava / The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula see below for other names) is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Asia, from southern Pakistan east through India to Myanmar and south to Sri Lanka. It is the national tree of Thailand.
Cassia fistula is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring. Flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flora, with almost no leaf being seen. It does not grow well in dry climates. Growth for this tree is best in full sun on well-drained soil; it is drought- and salt- tolerant, but will be damaged by even short spells of freezing weather. It can be subject to mildew, leaf spot and root diseases.

In Ayurvedic medicine, Golden Shower Tree is known as aragvadha ("disease killer"). Its fruitpulp is used as mild laxative, against fevers, arthritis, vatavyadhi (nervous system diseases), all kinds of rakta-pitta (bleeding, such as hematemesis or hemorrhages), as well as cardiac conditions and stomach problems such as acid reflux. The root is considered a very strong purgative, and self-medication or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts.

10) Manilkara zapota, commonly known as the Sapodilla, is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.[1] It is grown in huge quantities in India, Pakistan, Mexico and was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonisation. The fruit has an exceptionally sweet malty flavor. Many believe the flavor bears a striking resemblance to caramel. The unripe fruit is hard to the touch and contains high amounts of saponin, which has astringent properties similar to tannin, drying out the mouth.
The trees can only survive in warm, typically tropical environments, dying easily if the temperature drops below freezing. From germination, the sapodilla tree will usually take anywhere from 5–8 years to bear fruit. The sapodilla trees yield fruit twice a year, though flowering may continue year round.

11) The Ashoka tree (lit., "sorrow-less") (S. asoca (Roxb.) Wilde, or Saraca indica L. ) is a plant belonging to the Caesalpiniaceae subfamily of the legume family.[1] It is an important tree in the cultural traditions of the Indian Subcontinent and adjacent areas.
The Ashoka is a rain-forest tree. Its original distribution was in the central areas of the Deccan plateau, as well as the middle section of the Western Ghats in the western coastal zone of the Indian Subcontinent. The Ashoka is prized for its beautiful foliage and fragrant flowers. It is a very handsome, small, erect evergreen tree, with deep green leaves growing in dense clusters.
Its flowering season is around February to April. The Ashoka flowers come in heavy, lush bunches. They are bright orange-yellow in color, turning red before wilting.
As a wild tree, the Ashoka is a vulnerable species. It is becoming rarer in its natural habitat, but isolated wild Ashoka trees are still to be found in the foothills of central and eastern Himalayas, in scattered locations of the northern plains of India as well as on the west coast of the Subcontinent near Mumbai.
There are a few varieties of the Ashoka tree. One variety is larger and highly spreading. The columnar varieties are common in cultivation. It is also used for medical purposes. The asoka tree is considered sacred throughout the Indian subcontinent, especially in India and Sri Lanka. This tree has many folklorical, religious and literary associations in the region. Highly valued as well for its handsome appearance and the color and abundance of its flowers, the asoka tree is often found in royal palace compounds and gardens as well as close to temples throughout India.
The asoka tree is closely associated with the Yakshi mythological beings. One of the recurring elements in Indian art, often found at gates of Buddhist and Hindu temples, is the sculpture of a Yakshi with her foot on the trunk and her hands holding the branch of a flowering ashoka tree. As an artistic element, often the tree and the Yakshi are subject to heavy stylization. Some authors hold that the young girl at the foot of this tree is based on an ancient fertility symbol.
The asoka tree has a symbolic importance in Buddhism. Queen Māyā of Sakya is said to have given birth to the Buddha under an asoka tree in a garden in Lumbini. According to tradition, the queen walked in the garden until she came to an ashoka tree to take a rest. Then the tree magically bent down for her and she grasped a branch. At that moment the Buddha emerged from her right side.