Assessment of palash [Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub.] trees growing under Jhalawar conditions of Rajasthan

A field survey experiment was conducted during the year 2011–12 on palash trees growing sub-humid conditions of Jhalarapatan and Jhalawar cities of Rajasthan to study the genetic variability. The phenotypic characters studied on the 30 trees selected for the experime nt showed significant differences. The trees were categorized in 5 DBH groups (TG₁, TG₂, TG₃, TG₄, and TG₅). The maximum tree height (11.18 m), DBH (44.23 cm), crown diameter

(7.93 m), number of flowers per panicle (19.50), panicles per tree (77.50), panicle length (19.04 cm), largest flower size (4.96 cm), longest duration of flowering (93 days), maximum weight of fresh pod (7.33 g), maximum length of pod (18.16 cm), maximum weight of seed (1.02 g), maximum chlorophyll-a (1.80mg/g) and total chlorophyll (2.30mg/g) was recorded in TG₅. TG₃ recorded maximum chlorophyll-b (0.51mg/g) while early flowering (16.50 days) and maximum anthocyanin (2.54mg/g) were noted in TG₁.