Pune News
Exploring Pune University’s Unique Flora: A Guided Tree Walk
Pune University is renowned for its academic excellence, and on a drizzly Saturday, city-based ecologist Kedar Champhekar revealed that it is also home to some of the city’s iconic flora. A diverse crowd, including young children, their parents, and grandparents, braved the rain, insect attacks, and soggy ground as Champhekar transformed them into tree-watchers at the university’s Alice Garden. The tour, organized by Western Routes, known for its heritage tours, aimed to highlight the remarkable trees of Pune University.
Standing amidst the massive roots of the Rain Tree, a common sight on JM Road and in old parks and streets, Champhekar discussed its unique powder puff-like flowers. What many people may not know is that the Rain Tree also bears pods that are oily and sticky, making them excellent fuel for bonfires.Champhekar reminisced, “As kids, we used to pound the pods and mix them with soil to create hard balls for playing cricket. Actual cricket balls were quite expensive, so these makeshift ones worked nicely.” If anyone walking beneath the Rain Tree feels fine droplets, it is likely due to the aphids that feed on the sap and excrete sugary droplets.
The tour continued past the Putranjiva tree, whose fruits are strung into garlands believed to ward off the evil eye in small children. They also explored the Copperpod, named for its reddish-hued young pods, the Shirish trees whose rustling pods can be heard before they are seen, the Bhadraksha tree whose seeds are sometimes used as counterfeits of the more cherished rudrakash, and the Paper Mulberry, an invasive species native to Polynesia, the Philippines, and other parts of South Asia, where it is used for papermaking and local artwork. The Peepul tree, considered holy in many parts of India, is also believed to be a gathering place for spirits in certain regions. The walk, filled with quizzes, anecdotes, and scientific insights, shed light on the challenges facing the forest.