Cynometra sampathkumaraniana - Smooth Crescent-Pod Tree

Smooth Crescent-Pod Tree is a newly described (2022) evergreen tree with compound leaves having 4 leaflets in 2 pairs with the end pair leaflets much larger than the other two. It is named for Prof. A. Sampathkumaran, Central College, Bengaluru. The tree is closely related to Wrinkled Pod Mangrove. The number of leaflets are sometimes just 3 or even 2. Young leaves are strikingly bright reddish pink, drooping, with yellowish midrib. Leaflets are nearly stalkless, blade leathery, hairless, elliptic, elliptic-lanceshaped to somewhat obovate or obovate-oblong, basal pair 6-9.5 x 3-6 cm, the at end pair 11-12.5 x 3-5 cm. Flower-racemes arise in leaf-axils, often 3-5-fascicled. Petals are white, 5, free, erect, linear-oblong, 2.5-5 x 1-1.5 mm, thin, abruptly short tapering, falling off, brownish at base. Stamens are 10, filaments slender, hairless, 7-9 mm long. Sepals are creamy white, 4, free, thin, reflexed in open flower, sometimes tips curved upwards, 3.5-5 x 1.5-2.5 mm, elliptic-oblong with one of them ovate-oblong. Young pods are smooth, crescent-shaped or boat-shaped, about 2 x 1 cm, laterally compressed, green, becoming brown, finely velvet-hairy, obscurely wrinkled. Usually the pods of trees of the genus Cynometra are strongly wrinkled, inspiring a resemblance to a dog's womb! In fact the name Cynometra comes from that resemblance. Smooth Crescent-Pod Tree is found in Karnataka. Flowering: May-December.