From the archive record
Beautiful trees of India: This fine rare and old specimen of a Sacred Barna tree grew opposite AIIMS on the Yusuf Sarai road and stood proud and tall, as one of the finest specimens of this all-Indian tree ... until the Delhi Metro Rail Corp. cut it down to make way for the increased road width. The flowering tree Crateva religiosa, is called the sacred garlic pear and temple plant, and many other names in a variety of dialects, including Balai Lamok, abiyuch, barna, varuna, and bidasi. The tree is sometimes called the spider tree because the showy flowers bear long, spidery stamens. It is native to Japan, Australia, much of Southeast Asia and several South Pacific islands. It is grown elsewhere for fruit, especially in parts of the African continent. The fruit of the tree is edible. The n