THEODORE BASKARAN Commemorative volume showcasing the wealth of trees of the Indian landscape A CELEBRATION OF INDIAN TREES: Ashok S. Kothari; pub. by the National Society of the Friends of the Trees, in association with Marg Publications, 148, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Mumbai-400001. Rs. 2500. Though trees are all around us, we hardly stop to consider them. J. Krishnamurti often pleaded with his listeners to "look at a tree.' There is so much in it and so much beauty. Each tree is a habitat, for birds, for insects and for reptiles. The National Society of the Friends of the Trees was formed in 1957 in Mumbai with the aim of inculcating love for trees and plant life. This handsome volume on Indian trees is part of the golden jubilee celebration of this organisation. To promote a tree culture we need some basic knowledge about them. This book sets out to provide that in an attractive format. Wide variety Being a tropical country India has a wide variety of trees. In this book nearly 150 trees, both native and exotic, have been covered, each with one or more photographs and a well-researched note. The book, in large format, has a number of outstanding photographs of trees, imaginatively laid out and reproduced sharply. Some photographs are in double-spread format. However, not all photographs have been credited. Trees from the Alpine landscape of the Himalayas like the Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), to the arid plains of Saurashtra, such as Neem (Azadirachta indica) have been covered. The popular beliefs connected with trees have also been documented. For instance, in Punjab people avoid planting a Bor tree (Ziziphus mauritiana) near houses because it is believed that it causes quarrel in the family. A sprinkling of poems on trees has been added along the book. For each tree their vernacular names have been given. There is a thoughtful glossary, in addition to the bibliography, an index of common names and an index of scientific names, all of which add to the usefulness of the book. The notes and other material have been edited well but the word "plantation' has been used in the place of the verb "planting'. Plantation is a noun and refers to a commercially raised area, like a tea plantation. With the coming of the colonisers a large number of trees was brought in from other lands and planted as avenue trees. These immigrants have almost taken over the cities and you see them along the main roads. Exotics The most popular among these is the Gulmohar (Delonix regia) with brilliant red flowers that almost replaces the green foliage of the tree. A native of Madagascar the Tulip tree (Spathodia companulata) with its large, red flowers is from East Africa. This tall evergreen is often mistaken for the Flame of the Forest tree of our forests. But these imports are not without problems. For instance, the Gulmohar sheds its leaves in summer, when we most need shade. The alien trees are not as strong as native species. Two years ago about 200 large avenues trees in Chennai were uprooted by a storm and all of them were exotics. There is need to promote indigenous trees which have evolved over eons in this soil and in this climate. Tree culture One of the achievements of The National Society of the Friends of the Trees is the enactment of the Tree Act in 1975 in Maharashtra. This Act provided a model for other states. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the Urban Tree Protection Act has been enacted. But it is yet to make its appearance in many other states. The society has also set a model for non-governmental initiative to promote a concern for trees. In 2005 Nizhal (meaning shade) was founded in Chennai to promote a tree culture and it already has an impressive record. In our cities trees do not get the care they deserve. Near our home in Bangalore, by the side of a main road is a large Mahagony tree (Sweitinia mahagoni) that has been covered tightly by the pavement concrete. This is a death sentence for the tree. The larger and the more worrying issue is that many of us feel disconnected from our environment. Trees should be seen a resource to improve the quality of life in a city and as a heritage. Books such as this can help re-establish the lost connection.