Common name: Cutch

A medium-sized deciduous tree native to subtropical and tropical regions of Asia and India.

Use: The leaves are palatable to cattle and are reported to have a crude protein content of up to 24% of dried matter.

Use: It is an important host tree for the Lac insect (Kerria lacca), which is a sucking insect that attach in large numbers to the young stems to feed on the sap, excreting a sticky resin from their bodies as they feast, commonly known as 'Shellac'.

The Shellac is periodically collected and then processed into a high-gloss, natural varnish, traded under the same name. The varnish is made by mixing the Shellac with a solvent, such as alcohol and is used for varnishing wood, especially high-value, antique wood furniture and musical instruments. It is also used for giving hard candy, pills and fruit a waxy coating and nail polish its shine and durable coating properties. A red dye extracted as a by-product of Shellac production has a history of use as a commercial textile dye and food colouring. 

Climate: Grows naturally in dry tropical plains and grasslands with air temperatures ranging from 7 to 45 C and annual rainfall between 500 and 2000 mm

Problem feature: Seed are designed to be dispersed by wind.