Dalbergia. ] 



LEGUMINOSJ:. 



127 



E 675. Rakti Forest, Darjeeling Terai 



E 2347. Sukna ^ 



E 634. Eastern Diiars, Assam . 



Ib9. 

 47 

 46 



42 



2. D. latifolia, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 221 ; Hook. Fl. Ind. ii. 231 ; 

 Beddome t. 24; 13ratidis 148; Gamble 29. The Blackwood or Rose- 

 wood of Southern India. Vern. Siisal, Beng., Nep., Oudh; Shitfam, 

 sisUy kalarnkh, bhotbeula, sissui, Mar. ; Sissu, Guz. ; Sirds, sissu, sirsa, 

 sissa, Mandla;m#, Uriya; Iti, eruvadi, Tarn.; Jitegi, yeruguduj jitangi, 

 Tel. ; Bitiytkodagatti, Kan. ; Bhoink, Bhil ; Sens, Gondi; Serisso, Kurku. 



A deciduous tree attaining a large size in South India, Bark i inch 

 thick, grey, with irregular short cracks, exfoliating in thin fibrous longi- 

 tudinal flakes. Sapwood yellow, small; hearbwood extremely hard, dark 

 purple, with black longitudinal streaks; no distinct annual rings, but 

 alternating concentric belts of dark and light colour, which, however, run. 

 irregularly into each other. Pores mode rate- sized, uniformly distributed, 

 generally joined by narrow, white, wavy interrupted, concentric lines. 

 Medullary rays light-coloured, fine, numerous, uniform and equidistant. 



Oudh, Eastern Bengal, Central and South India. 



Growth moderate when young, 5 to 9 rings per inch of radius (Brandis) ; some of 

 our specimens shew 8 rings. 



It coppices well, is easily raised from seed, and reproduces well naturally. 



The weight and transverse strength have been determined by the following 

 experiments : 



Brandis says the value of P may be taken at 950. 



It is a valuable furniture wood, and is exported to Europe from the forests of 

 Kanara and Malabar. Wood sent to London for sale in 1878 fetched 13 10s. per 

 ton. It is also used for cart wheels, agricultural implements and for gun-carriages. 

 It is good for carving and fancy work, and is used for the handles of knives, 

 kukris and other arms. It has been used for sleepers. Nine sleepers which had 

 been down 7 to 8 years on the Mysore State Railway were found to have, when taken 

 up, 5 good, 3 still serviceable, and 1 bad. It has been grown in plantations in Malabar 

 and Kanara. 



Ibs. 



