INTO THE

WOODS OF
JMC ANEET PADDA
'A gorgeous, jewelled, luxurious book'
The JMC Times
Into the Woods of JMC
by Aneet Padda
Roll no.- 210894
BA Political Science honours

Feather House Books

 Prologue

One can experience the fury of the wind, the harsh

subtlety of the rain, the beauty of precious moments
shared and the wonder that nature symbolises- when
one steps into the woods of Jesus and Mary College.
Many appreciate the beauty that the biodiversity of
JMC provides but few scratch the surface and explore
the deep intensities of the stories behind the magical
trees found inside the college. The readers will be
informed about the various features of these trees and
their significance. As an author, I have tried to adjust
and expand my focal lens to a point where I am
rendered able enough to view and understand what the
eye cannot instantly see.
 Chapter 1
The royal Palm Tree
 Royal palm trees are popular in
many warm, coastal landscapes,
particularly in southern Florida
and parts of California.
Considered the aristocrat of palm
trees, the tree earns its regal
name with its stately presence in
the landscape.

Basic Characteristics
Royal palm trees can grow to
125 feet tall at maturity,
growing at a rate of around a
foot yearly.
Evergreen fronds average 10
feet long with pinnate, green
leaves that are 8-inches long.
There are 15 to 20 fronds
making up the canopy or
crown of the palm.
Chapter 2
The Arjuna Tree
 Arjun is a large sized deciduous
evergreen tree with very long and
strong roots. This tree reaches height
upto 70-85 feet. It has conical leaves,
yellow flowers and grey colored smooth
bark. It has glabrous, fibrous woody, 2-
3cm long fruit with five hard wings and
number of curved veins. Leaves are dull
green and pale brown beneath. Flowers
of Arjuna appear between march to june
and fruit between september to
november.

In India Arjuna is one of the most

religious and sacred tree. Leaves and
flowers of this tree are used for lord
vishnu and ganesh pooja on religious
occasions. From ancient times this herb
is used in ayurvedic preparation for its
versatile medicinal properties.
 Chapter 3
The White Fig Tree
It is a medium-sized tree which grows to
a height of 24–27 metres (79–89 ft) In dry
areas and up to 32 metres (105 ft) tall in
wetter areas. It is a fig tree belonging to
the group of trees known as strangler
figs, which is because its seeds can
germinate on other trees and grow to
strangle and eventually kill the host tree.
It has two marked growth periods in its
Indian environment: in spring (February
to early May), and in the time of the
monsoon rains (i.e. June to early
September). The new leaves are a
beautiful shade of reddish pink and very
pleasing to the eye.
This is a very massive tree in which the
size of the crown can sometimes exceed
the height of the tree.
 Chapter 4
The Sausage Tree
 With its peculiar, sausage-shaped fruit
and blood-red, tulip-shaped flowers, the
sausage tree Kigelia africana (also Kigelia
pinnata) is a striking standout. It is
native to tropical Africa, where it grows
in open woodlands, along riverbanks and
streams, and in floodplains. The trees
take advantage of the alluvial soil in
areas that flood periodically, a location
where other trees do not do well, and
where they are protected from
herbivores for some part of the year,
giving them a chance to regenerate.
Sausage trees are fast growing in the
right conditions and can reach 50 feet in
height.
 Chapter 5
The Sagwan Tree
 Teak is an evergreen tree that
grows to be quite tall. The wood is
yellowish blonde to reddish
brown. It reaches a height of
around 30 metres. A drupe is the
type of fruit. Flowers range in
colour from bluish to white. It
produces a large leaf that looks
like a tobacco leaf. The bark is a
light whitish grey colour. It is
commonly grown as a straight
teak tree with an uneven texture,
medium lustre, and oily feel. The
tree's upper surface is rough to
the touch, and the inner surface is
covered in hairs. The bladder-like
calyx, which is light brown,
ribbed, and papery, surrounds the
fruit.
 Sagwan is a hardwood tree whose wood is
prized for its exceptional quality. Teak is
known as the "King of Woods." Teak is
known in Nepal as Sagaun Rukh() and has
the scientific name Tectona Grandis. The
genus Tectona contains three species.
Grandis is the most popular and has a large
distribution, whereas the other two are
found in a much smaller area. South Asian
countries such as India, Sri Lanka, the
Philippines, and Myanmar are home to this
tree. It is extremely rare in natural forests
around the world. It is primarily grown as a
commercial enterprise. Myanmar has the
world's largest natural teak (Sagwan Tree)
forest, which is under government control.
Sagwan wood is known for its high quality
timber, durability, light weight, and ease of
carving.
 Chapter 6
The Tree of Heaven
 Indian Tree of Heaven is a large deciduous tree, 18-25
m tall; trunk straight, 60-80 cm in diameter; bark light
grey and smooth, becoming grey-brown and rough on
large trees, aromatic, slightly bitter. Leaves alternate,
pinnately compound, large, 30-60 cm or more in
length; leaflets 8-14 or more pairs, long stalked, ovate
or broadly lance shaped from very unequal base, 6-10
cm long, 3-5 cm wide, often curved, long pointed, hairy
gland; edges coarsely toothed and often lobed. Flower
clusters droop at leaf bases, shorter than leaves, much
branched; flowers many, mostly male and female on
different trees, short stalked, greenish-yellow. Five
sepals, 5 narrow petals spreading 6 mm across. Fruit a
1-seeded samara, lance shaped, flat, pointed at ends, 5
cm long, 1 cm wide, copper red, strongly veined,
twisted at the base The genus name Ailanthus comes
from ailanthos (tree of heaven), the Indonesian name
for Ailanthus moluccana. Flowering: January-March.
Medicinal uses: Bark used in India as a powerful fever-
cure and tonic. Leaves and bark in good repute as a
tonic after labor, and the juice of the leaves and fresh
bark employed by the Konkans as a remedy for after-
pains.
Acknowledgements

I owe a bigger debt of gratitude than

i can ever express to friends
everywhere. Many people inspired
this book with their stories and
silences. I am deeply grateful to my
teacher- Ms. Divya Aggarwal who
has believed in me from day one.
Thank you to my parents for their
continuing support and faith, and
just for being there when I need
help.
 Discover 'Into the Woods of JMC'....

Aneet Padda colorfully discusses

the vast spectrum of what nature
has to offer while extensively
unfolding the mysteries and facts
of the JMC woods. In this book, the
readers will learn about the
various trees that live and breathe
in the JMC campus and will leave
knowing more than they did
before.

'Colorfully woven and beguilingly intelligent'

Daily Telegraph