PARKlA ROXBURGHII - A USEFUL TREE OF NORTH-EASTERN INDIA

Abstract

The genus Parkia is known to have 40 species widely distributed in
tropical parts of the world, only 3 species occur in India (Willis, 1982). A
member of Leguminosae sub-family Mimosaceae, it is popularly known as
tree bean. Parkia roxburghii G. Don. commonly grows in backyard of houses,
jhums and forests in Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya as well as in
forests of Cachar, North Cachar Hills and Sibsagar of Assam (Kanjilal et al.,
1938). It usually grows wild in plains and hills upto 500 m above sea level.
It is known as Khorial and Manipur- urohi in Assam; Zongta in Mizoram;
Yongchak in Manipur; Aoelgap in Garo Hills; Barri-phang in Cachar and
Unkam-pinching in Nagaland. In Manipur, nine types of tree bean differing
in seed size, seeds per pod, dry matter (%), specific gravity and taste, on
the basis of organoleptic test were identified (Meitei and Singh, 1990). These
are Nungsiacharu, Kangchup, Thangmani, Kharum, Kangpokpi, Taothong,
Narankonjin, Jiri and Tamenglong