Checklist of trees in IIIT

Here's a checklist of trees (and a few shrubs) I have been able to identify in IIIT-H. These have been taken all over the campus, including the small garden behind the NBH mess. There are many ornamental plants in the campus, i.e. plants that are not native to India but have been planted for their flowers or their fast-growing properties. But there are also a few native trees- most obviously Neem, the Flame of the Forest, Jamun, Jhingan etc. These trees also attract many birds and insects when flowering/fruiting. I may have missed a few species in this list, but most of these are the most visible and common trees on campus.

1. Banyan - Ficus benghalensis
2. Guava - Psidium guajava
3. Copper Pod - Peltophorum pterocarpum
   
4. Teak - Tectonia grandis
5. Kachnar/Mountain Ebony- Bauhinia variegata
6. Kachnar - Bauhinia purpurea
7. Dwarf Bauhinia - Bauhinia acuminata
   
8. Shisham - Dalberia sisoo
9. Takoli - Dalbergia lanceolaria
10. Indian Elm/Kanju - Holoptelea integrifolia
11. Palash/ Flame of the forest- Butea monosperma
12. False Almond - Sterculia foetida
13. Indian Almond - Terminalia catappa
    
14. Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata
15. Jamun - Syzigium cumini
16. Brazilian Cassia - Cassia grandis
    
17. Indian Laburnum - Cassia fistula
18. Jacaranda - Jacaranda mimosifolia
19. Gulmohar - Delonix regia
    
20. Pongam - Pongamia pinnata
21. Subabool - Leucaena leucocephala
22. Neem - Azadirachta indica
23. Badminton Ball tree - Parkia biglandulosa
24. Phalsa - Grewia asiatica
25. African Tulip Tree - Spathodea campanulata
26. Devil's tree - Alstonia scholaris
27. Shirish - Albizia lebbek
28. Maulsari - Mimusops elengi
29. Pink Trumpet flower - Tabebuia rosea
30. Yellow Trumpet flower - Tabebuia aurea
31. Drumstick tree - Moringa oleifera
    
32. Apta - Bauhinia racemosa
33. Jhingan - Llanea coromandelica
34. Silver Oak - Grevillea robusta
35. Earpod wattle - Acacia auriculiformis
36. Peacock flower - Caesalpinia pulcherrima
37. Rain tree - Albizia saman
38. Singapore cherry- Muntingia calabura
39. Pomegranate - Punica granatum
40. Portia tree - Thespesia populnea
41. Annatto - Bixa orellana
42. Sicklebush- Dichrostachys cinerea
43. Giant Milkweed - Calatropis gigantea
44. Oleander - Nerium oleander
45. Sago palm - Cycas revoluta
46. False Eranthemum - Pseuderanthemum reticulatum
47. Indian Ginger - Alpinia calcarata
48. Dhavda - Anogeissus latifolia
49. Common Night Glory - Rivea hypocrateriformis
50. Golden Cane Palm - Dypsis lutescens

What's that noise?!

If you've noticed a really loud, annoying sound in the middle of the afternoon on campus, it's this guy:

Cicada. Photo thanks to S.

It's a cicada, and he's calling out for a mate. Apparently the sound production is related to hot weather, so they can be heard during noon but I have also heard the cicadas calling late in the evening in the campus. The sound is ear-splitting, especially if you go closer. When there are two or three calling at once, it can be quite painful.

There's a very nice section devoted to cicadas on one of the Planet Earth series and it shows a species of periodic cicadas, whose nymphs emerge after 17 years from the ground. Not all species remain underground for so long though, some are annual and others stay for 2-5 years (wiki).

Trashed!

Behind Motorola building, near parking lot

I have been noticing some new rubbish dumps in campus lately. So this Sunday morning, I thought they deserved a photo session of their own. I don't know who has been throwing this stuff around- it's basically made up of coffee cups, chips packets and biscuit wrappers. Perhaps it's coming from one of the canteens in the Motorola building? This one was taken in the area behind Motorola where the new construction is coming up. How does one find out more about this dumping? Can the Green Club people do more about this? Is the Green Club alive?

More 'dirty' pictures here and here.

New Year

IIIT has its own snake god near a large termite mound. I don't know the local name, but looks like it's been here for a while. I hope this year it will exert a benign influence on the residents of this campus- both humans and wild animals.