Herbarium JCB

Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.

Family : FABACEAE
(PEA OR BEAN FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Leguminosae
Subfamily : Faboideae
Species : Dalbergia sissoo
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.
Common name : North Indian Rosewood
Vernacular name : Sisam, Sissu, Sheesham (Hin.); Biradi (Kan.); Thaesi maram, Sissoo (Tam.); Sensupa, Sissoo, Errasissu (Tel.); Sissoo, Simsapa (Ori.); Kushimshipa (San.)
Key identification features : A tall deciduous tree with a light crown. Leaves are pinnately compound, up to 8 cm long, leaflets of 3-5, sub-orbicular, acuminate at apex, leathery. Flowers are small, pale yellow, in axillary panicles. Stamens 9, united. Pods are narrowly tongue-shaped, borne on long stalks. Bark is thick, grey, somewhat reticulate, longitudinally furrowed and exfoliating in narrow strips.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : January-April; March onwards
Native : Indo-Himalaya
Comments : Occasional on plains up to 900 m. Often planted for the valuable timber.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
World Distribution : Tropical Himalaya, India, Tropical Africa, West Asia, Myanmar, Bhutan
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2001 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 2; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1994- Flora of Orissa Vol. 1; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Dalbergia sissoo. Downloaded on 2 April 2025.