Flowering Trees: Pongamia pinnata (करंज)

Pongamia pinnata (Marathi: करंज) is mediun size tree. It is found everywhere in our campus. It is important larval host plant for number of butterflies such as Common Banded Awl (Hasora chromus), Common cerulean, Forget-me-not, Indian Sunbeam to name a few. Many Dark Ceruleans and Tailess Lineblue are seen nectoring on its flowers. It has  been seen flowering in months of December-Jan

The seeds after drying are used in bio-diesel making.

Flowers

Seeds	Leaves
Empty pupa of skipper on Pongamia pinnata

Flowering Trees: Red Silk Cotton Tree (शाल्मली / शेवर)

Flower of Red cotton silk tree

A large dark red/ magenta colored flower of "silk cotton tree" attracts every nature wanderer during summer trails. There exists a very similar species, white flowers is the sole difference. Flower with five petals blooms during spring months (January to March), while tree losses all its leaves as many other tree do. Many birds like drongo, jungle babbler, common crow etc. feed on the flowers. 


This native tree can grow up-to 30 m. Thorns on the stem and branches is its characteristic ID. Tree is largely famous as it bears its relation with a famous festival of Holi. In Konkan region, the decorated tree, decorated with Mango leaves and flowers, is worshiped.  Tree is then burnt in the night and Holi is celebrated. The availability of this tree is larger and confidently its leafless during the same month when Holi is celebrated. The fruits appear in the month of April may and has fiber inside. Often seen them flying with the hot summer winds. Fibers are used in the pillows by villagers. Wood is light and makes it use in building structures used in water. 

Quick Facts:

Common Name: Red Silk Cotton Tree (Sanskrit: शाल्मली / Marathi: शेवर)

Botanical Name: Bombax ceiba

Family: Baobab

Flowers: Large, red/magenta colored with 5 petals

Location on campus: All over academic area and hill side, a common tree.

Jungle Babbler feeding on Red Cotton Silk Tree

Wandering destination: Tungareshwar WLS

Cool water streams at Tungar WLS

Morning at Tungar WLS

Stunning destination for nature lovers. IT has something in every season. water falls and flowers in monsoon. Butterflies in pre and post monsoon season. Charming birds in winter season. Racket tailed drango, Asian Paradise flycatcher, Verditor are few notables.

To reach Tungar, take bus from Main gate to Andheri railway station. Frequent locals from Andheri drops u at Vasai road. Take share auto to "Tungar Phata" and then start walking towards WLS. Entrance is at about kilometer inside from the main road. No ticket is charged presently and no permission required for nature walk. One can either follow the water streams or the road. Another part of Tungar WLS is Chinchoti waterfall. Alight  at Naygaon station, catch share auto to reach Chicnhoti fata. 

Water stream, Chinchoti during December

Tungar WLS and Chichoti waterfall

Woods are lovely dark and deep.....Tungar WLS

Swapnil and Abhay sharing lite moents at Chichoti water fall

Wandering Destination : Matheran

Road to heaven?...Matheran

A famous tourist weekend destination and hill station. Pollution free zone due to some strict rules regarding vehicles and envioronment. Basically its a plateu at a height of about 1800 mt. Temperature in summer doesent go above 30 deg.cel. Pretty good destination for photography post-monsoon. Stunning waterfalls,  exquisite landscapes, mesmerizing fog, curvy roads, breath taking valleys, grand panoramas, drizzles, in short everything for memorable weekend. Birds in and after winter is good attraction.

We went there for butterflies three times in different season with different approaches. All the three trips proved miserable. Lifers for us was peacock royal sighting. Otherwise the common ones.

To reach Matheran, one can opt by-road option or peaceful local train option. Get down at "Neral" station and take a share taxi to Matheran. Toy train takes pretty long, about 1.5 hours. It may be fun post monsoon. During monsoon the train doesnt run due to land slide dangers. Taxi drops visitor at entrance. No vehicle is allowed further this point. Charge for Neral-matheran taxi is 60 Rs (March 12) and entrance ticket is 25 Rs (March 12). Parking charges as per vehicle type. 

Panoramic view of Matheran valley

Flowering Trees - Cannon Ball Tree ( नागचाफा / कैलासपती)

 

Flower of Canon Ball Tree

Bunch of flowers and fruit string

Second in the flowering Tree series, is the post on "canon ball tree". It is listed as rare tree and flower in India [1]. It grows up-to 80 ft high and flowers in around December. Flower has six petals. Reddish inside and yellowish outside. Tremendously aromatic and smell can be felt strongly in near-by area. Inside structure is horizontal "U" shape. This inner structure is the reason it is offered to Lord Shiva and hence name in Marathi, as some thinks.

This Brazilian native takes its English name due to characteristic canon-ball like shape of its fruits. Fruits have rusty colored hard shell and are heavy. Number of fruits are connected in string and tree bears them directly to the trunk. The Cannonball Tree possesses antibiotic, anti-fungal, antiseptic and analgesic qualities [2] and hence used for medical purpose.

Quick Facts:
Common Name: Canon Ball Tree
Botanical Name: Couroupita guianensis
Family: Barringtonia
Marathi Name: कैलासपती / नागचाफा/ नागलिंग
Location on campus: Only one in parking lot near staff club.

Flower close-up

Ref:

1. http://www.flowersofindia.in/catalog/slides/Cannon%20Ball%20Tree.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couroupita_guianensis

Flowering trees - Cassia fistula (बहावा)

grape bunches-like flowers

IIT Bombay hots many flowering trees, which are unusual to find in Mumbai city. This is the first article in the series of "flowering trees". The series will be covering details about some of impressive trees present on the campus. 

Tree for today is Cassia fistula, commonly known by Amaltaas / Golden shower tree or Indian Laburnum [1]. In Marathi it is named as 'Bahava' (बहावा). In Ayurvedic medicine, golden shower tree is known as aragvadha, meaning "disease killer" [2]. Its a tropical ornamental tree, may reach up-to 50 feet height. It is host plant LHP for Common emigrant and Mottled emigrant butterfly species. 

Golden shower tree is obvious name due to bright and cheerful display by thousands of fragrant small flower. Pendant like (grape bunches-like) bouquet of golden colored yellow flowers are eye catching. These flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies [1]. Flowering season for the tree is in the months of March to May. Sometimes the tree is seen without a single leaf when flowering. The golden shower tree is the national flower Thailand; its yellow flowers symbolize Thai Royalty [2]. Its also state flower of Kerala. A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this tree. 

Quick Facts:

Botanical Name: Cassia Fistula
Family:  Gulmohar

Flowering season: Late spring

Location on campus: Out side DRDO and QIP quarters.

Reference: 

1. http://www.flowersofindia.in/catalog/slides/Amaltas.html

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassia_fistula

Wandering destination: Around Mumbai

Greater Flamingo at Shivadi

IIT Bombay campus hosts innumerable varieties of birds, flowers, trees and butterflies. However, it has natural and ecological limitations. Every living species around Mumbai cant be seen in the campus. Some of the species are jungle dwellers and prefers thick, unattended forest. For example some butterflies species like Baronet, Tinsel, Western centaur Oakblue are seen in the jungles of SGNP and Tungareshwar WLS but IITB Campus. To explore more wonders about nature, apart from campus, there are some immediate destinations near Mumbai sub-urban. Here is consolidated information about one-day return spots.

Lungs of Mumbai, SGNP

Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP): Campus shares some of its boundaries with SGNP. SGNP, a  protected are of about 104 sq. km., spreads from Borivali to Thane.  An estimated 800 types of flowering plants; 284 kinds of birds; 5,000 species of insects; 36 types of mammals; 62 reptiles and 150 species of butterfly can be found. some distinguished features of the park are nature trails, Karvy flowers blooming after every 7/8 years, Kanheri caves. Ticket for individual is 20 Rs and park can be accessed from 6 AM to 6 PM. From IIT, BEST or NMMT buses drops you at the very entrance of the park. Private vehicles are allowed inside the park with some fees. For trekking and nature trails, prior permission is required.

Jungles in SGNP

Shiwadi bird watching spots

Shivadi: Famous for Flamingo's. Many other water birds (gulls, waders, snipers, herons,etc) can be seen in the mangrove forest. Best time of the day would be morning to visit. The are plenty of spots to seat calmly and watch bird activities. Take a train from Kanjur to Shiwadi, with one change over at Dadar. Start walking towards sea coast and ask for Jetty. Jetty is the best spot among many. Siwari fort could be an attraction for some, Colgate gate is another point to watch birds closely.  

Yeoor Hills: This is entry to SGNP from Thane. Buses from IIT Main gate to Mulund and then catching bus towards yeoor takes about 45 minutes to reach the destination under normal circumstances.

Tata power plant at backdrop, Shivadi

Map of Nagla Block

Nagla: Another extension of SGNP. Its far from the disturbances by the tourists. For butterfly lovers, there can be few surprises post monsoon season. Some exotic species of butterflies like Silver streak Blue, Chocolate Albatross, Orange Awlet, Acacia Blue are often sited. To reach Nagla, take a bus from Main gate to Mulund and then from Mulund to Hotel Fountain. Walk about a kilometer towards Ahmedabad on the highway and there u are. On right side there are some houses and thats the way in to the Nagla block.

Mahim Nature Park: Situated in the midst of city and spread over a large area on the banks of Mithi. Very well maintained and can be good starting point to watch nature closely and comprehensively. It hosts every natural element : birds, butterflies, flowers.Entry fee is 10 rs. Permission required to take photos. A bus from Gandhinagar bus stop drops very near to MNP.

Acytolepis puspa (Common Hedge Blue)

Acytolepis puspa (Common Hedge Blue) newly emerged.

This is small butterfly predominantly white with series of black spots on its underwing. It belongs to Lycaenidae family. It is not very common in our campus. It can be seen on damp patches and around its host plant Peltophorum ptecocarpum (Copperpod tree). There are many Copperpod trees on both sides of main road. I have seen female laying eggs on such trees once near Canara Bank ATM (near H-6) and near H-8. We also found eggs on another Copperpod tree near Main Building. Female lay egg singly on tender shoot or very young leaves. Eggs is more or less round, bluish green in colour, it turns white on maturity. A caterpillar does not eat its egg shell. It is tiny and extremely camofludged. It exclusively eats tender leaves of plant. After reaching maturity caterpillar turns pinkish-red in colour. One of the caterpillar made pupa on upperside of leaf and the butterfly emerged was male.  

Basking Acytolepis puspa (Common Hedge Blue) Female.

Similar species is Tailess Malayan (Megisba thwaitesi), compare following photo for similarities and differences between Common Hedge Blue and Tailess Malayan. Tailess Malayan is seen while mud-puddling.

                                                                 

Egg of Acytolepis puspa

Pre-pupation	Pre-pupation

Pupa just before emergence 

   

Peltophorum ptecocarpum (Copperpod tree)

Acytolepis puspa (Common Hedge Blue) mudpuddling

Euchrysops cnejus (Gram Blue)

Euchrysops cnejus (Gram Blue) newly emerged.

Euchrysops cnejus (Gram Blue) is a small butterfly belonging to lycaenidae family. It is very common in post-mansoon months in our campus. It can often be seen basking along road sides in the morning showing off its beautiful blue colour (in case of male); on upperside of its wings. Two tornal black spots with orange caps are present. It is tailed butterfly.

This butterfly and Forget-me-not butterfly are very much similar and can be confused for one another. Absence of spot in     will imply that it is Forget-me-not (see the comparison photo).

It has been seen laying eggs on Vignata sp. flowers and flower buds. Vignata sp. is a climber and it is common in our campus. It can be readily recognised in post-mansoon months by presence of flowers. Flowers are violet-purple in colour and it has peculiar shape.  Gram Blue caterpillar feeds on inner part of flower buds and inner parts of flowers. In order to feed it bores a hole through flower.  So if you examine the flowers/flower buds with hole you may get to see caterpillar. One should be careful in identifying caterpillar because some other species such as Pea Blue, Common cerulean , Dark cerulean caterpillars look almost same at first glance and moreover they also has Vignata sp. as a common larval host plant. We have seen Dark cerulean activity near Vignata sp.. It should be noted that ants were present on Vignata sp. on which we found Gram Blue caterpillar. But its pupation seems to be unaffected by absence of ants (this was a case as caterpillar was reared in home).  Before pupation caterpillar was constantly moving to find secluded space. Then we put some dried leaves insided the box, where caterpillar was kept. It finally made pupa inside one of the curled, dried leaf.

Key difference between Gram Blue and Forget-me-not.

Open wing

Pre-pupation	Pupa

Before emergence	Emergence