THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



Soft-tissue. In lightly waved, concentric lines as fine as the 

 rays : sometimes simulating the ring-boundaries and often 

 several quite close together : also in broad borders to the pores 

 which sometimes join the groups in oblique or wavy lines. 



Radial Section. Slightly lighter in shade than the Trans- 

 verse Section: pores very prominent, rather coarser than 

 in the Tangential Section as the radial groups are exposed. 

 They often contain black gum and show up as dark grooves. 

 Rays need lens, and are then only visible in certain lights. 

 No indication of the rings. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays appear as 

 minute lines about 1*3 mm. high (need lens). The pores are 

 exposed in less abundance. 



Type specimens authenticated by the Forest Officer to the 

 Government of Ceylon : from a log sent to the Colonial and Indian 

 Exhibition. 



No. 64. EAST INDIAN WALNUT. Albizzia 

 Lebbek. Bth. 



Plate V. Fig. 40. 



Natural Order. Leguminoseae. 



Synonym. Mimosa Sirissa Roxb. 



Alternative Names. The Siris Tree. Cotton-varay in Coro- 

 mandel (131). For the names in the various Indian dialects 

 see Gamble and Watt. 



Sources of Supply. Tropical Asia and Africa. Chiefly India. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 41 to 56 lbs. 

 per cu. ft. Hardness Grade 5, compare English Ash. Smell 

 or taste none (when dry). Solution the colour of the wood. 



Grain. Rather coarse and open. Surface lustrous, silky, not 

 glassy. 



Bark. " Grey or brownish-grey, rough with numerous short, 

 irregular cracks " (37). 



Uses, etc. Seasons, works and polishes well, and is fairly dur- 

 able : sugar-cane crushers, oil mills, furniture, well-curbs and 

 wheel-work, and in South India for boats. In the Andamans 

 for building, but more usually for house-posts" (37). "Very 

 durable " (131). " Immune to dry-rot, but not to white ants." 



Authorities. Wiesner (131), L. 6, p. 81. Gamble (37), p. 156. 

 Stone (117). 



Colour. Dark brown, walnut colour : " Sap-wood large, 

 white" (37). 



Anatomical Characters. Similar to those of the A. odor- 

 atissima with the following variations : — 



74 



