They are succeeded by large oblong pods, in which the black polished seeds are deeply embedded in the floss which is so much prized by the natives.

The trunk is of an unusually bright green colour, and the branches issue horizontally from the stem, in whorls of threes with a distance of six or seven feet between each whorl.
[Footnote 1: _Bombax Malabaricus_.

As the genus Bombax is confined to tropical America, the German botanists, Schott and Endlicher, have assigned to the imbul its ancient Sanskrit name, and described it as _Salmalia Malabarica_.] Near every Buddhist temple the priests plant the Iron tree (_Messua ferrea_)[1] for the sake of its flowers, with which they decorate the images of Buddha.

They resemble white roses, and form a singular contrast with the buds and shoots of the tree, which are of the deepest crimson.

Along with its flowers the priests use likewise those of the Champac (_Michelia Champaca_), belonging to the family of magnoliaceae.
They have a pale yellow tint, with the sweet oppressive perfume which is celebrated in the poetry of the Hindus.