PADOUK 



Transverse Section. Pores, coarse, size i, scarcely prominent : 

 rarely subdivided to more than pairs, mostly single, surrounded 

 by a narrow, inconspicuous ring of soft-tissue. Rays, much less 

 than the width of a large pore apart : straight, apparently in- 

 terrupted rather than avoiding the pores. Rings very obscure : 

 varying shades of colour, but not in definite bands. Soft-tissue 

 rarely joining the groups. 



Type specimens sent me by the Imperial Institute for trial 

 and authenticated by various Indian foresters. 



No. 65. PADOUK. Pterocarpus indicus. Willd. 



Plate V. Fig. 41. 



Natural Order. Leguminosese. 



Synonym. P. dalbergioides. Roxb. 



Alternative Names. Andaman Red-wood : Chalanga da in 

 India (37) : Tenasserim Mahogany (15). Burmese Rosewood 

 (15). CibicibiinFiji(i2). Angsanah in Malacca (24). Seebelow. 



Sources of Supply. Burmah and the Andaman Isles. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 43-62 lbs. 

 per cu. ft. Hardness, Grade 3, compare Blackthorn. Smell 

 little if any. "Aromatic" (37). Taste astringent. Burns well : 

 embers glow in still air. Solution with water faint brown : with 

 alcohol deep crimson, the colour of the wood. 



Grain. Coarse, open but dense : irregular, in hard and soft 

 bands by turns. Surface bright, even lustrous, smooth and cold 

 to the touch. 



Bark. " Grey " (37). 



Uses, etc. Resists white ants (131). Furniture, railway 

 carriage building, turnery. A wood of great beauty which 

 seasons and works well and takes an exceptionally fine polish, 

 but the soft bands render planing troublesome. The de- 

 scription by Jackson and Graham quoted by Gamble is any- 

 thing but applicable to the Padouk here described, nor does 

 Gamble's own description bear it out. Jos. Collins describes 

 it as " yellowish, streaked brown." I imagine, he has quoted 

 the wrong systematic name, as has Boulger also (15), p. 37. 

 Padouk is difficult to confuse with any other wood. 



Authorities. Gamble (37), p. 130. Laslett (60), pp. 209, 215. 

 Boulger (15), pp. 37 and 269. J. Collins (24). Wiesner (131), 

 Lief. 6, p. 89. 



Colour. Rich red or crimson streaked with black. Sap-wood 

 about \ inch wide. 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : — 



Pores. Conspicuous, size 1-2, rather coarse, little variation : 



75 



