Boswellia serrata and Sterculia urens are indicators of water below hill top.
Kadaya ( Sterculia urens) and Salar ( Boswellia serrata) are very typical in their habitat. They grow on slopes approaching hill tops or near hill tops ( but not on the hill tops ) if the water stream is flowing at the base of the the hills or hill range or there is a lake . This is litmus test to find the tree. In Ramgarh lake area and also in the stream flowing from the Ramgarh lake these two plants are found in abundance. Alas that for the greed of gum Katira ( high quality edible gum obtained by putting incision on the trees of Kadaya or Sterculia urens trees ) the trees are dying . Because of lack of underground vegetation the seedling fail to germinate and once the association with Salar ( Boswellia serrata) is lost the other tree also disappears. This has happend in Ramgarh lake area and happening on the hills of Jaigarh fort below which there is water stream and opposite this is the range of Boswellia serrata. Both the trees are going to be extinct sooner or later due to loss of vegetation.
Surprisingly when I went to Ajanta caves I told my students that here water is flowing down the hill range you will find both the trees and to my surprise they are there .
No wonder plants also keep their "friendship and associations " and live in harmony . Please help to protect them in nature.
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