DALBERGIA SISSOO
Family- Fabaceae
Scientific name - Dalbergia sissoo
COMMON NAMES –
1) It is called as Shisham, sissu or tali.
2) Sisso is one of the vernacular names.
3) It is also known as Indian rosewood tree.
GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE SISSOO TREE –
1) A fairly large deciduous tree with dark
grey rough bark.
2) Leaves composed of 3-5 leaflets arranged
alternately on a somewhat zigzag axis which is swollen at the base.
3) Flowers about 0.25- inch long,
yellowish-white, rather numerous, inconspicuous but sweet-scented.
4) Stamens 9, united in a tube slit along the
upper side.
5) Fruit a thin strap-shaped pod 1.5-4 inches
long by 0.3-0.5 inch wide, containing 1-4 flattened seeds.
6) Leafless in January, February, the fresh
foliage appearing in 7) March and the flowers soon after.
8) The fruit ripens in November but remains
hanging on the trees for several months.
USES OF THE SISSOO TREE –
1) The shisham is the favourite road-side tree
in upper India.
2) For this purpose it has many advantages.
3) It is easily grown, fairly rapid in growth,
in full foliage during the hot weather and almost immune from lopping, barking
and other forms of wanton damage.
4) The leaves are not used for fodder and the
bark is not used for tanning or medicine.
5) The timber is valuable.
6) The sap-wood is perishable being very
subject to attack by borers but the heart-wood is durable.
7) It is hard, heavy, brown in colour with
darker streaks.
8) Though not easy to work it takes an
excellent polish and is one of the main furniture woods.
9) It is also used for spokes of wheels,
carts, boats and many other purposes.
HABITAT OF THE SISSOO TREE –
1) Indigenous along the foot of the Himalaya
from the Indus to 2) Assam extending along the banks of rivers for some distance
into the plains.
