| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Synonym(s): Amerimnon sissoo (Roxb.) Kuntze. Further trade and local names: sheesham, siso, sissoo, sisu, sissai, sissu, sonosisso, sonowaseso (IN, PK); du-khaek, pradukhaek (TH). Code according to DIN EN 13556: none.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Listed in Annex II(B).
Geographic distribution. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (this species is also cultivated in many regions of India and Pakistan). Northern India and Pakistan, in the sub-himalayan tract from the Indus east to Assam.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Growth rings inconspicuous, scarcely distinct with a hand lens, delimited by narrower and straighter (in comparison to those of the earlywood) marginal parenchyma bands in the outer portion of the ring (latewood). Heartwood basically brown (golden brown to deep brown); with streaks (deep brown). Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour (whitish to pale brownish). Odour indistinct or absent. Wood of medium weight to heavy and hard (0.75–0.80–0.86 g/cm3). Surface not oily. Interlocked grain occasionally present, or absent.
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood semi-ring-porous, or diffuse-porous. Vessels (pores) in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessels rather unevenly distributed over the cross section. Vessels medium to large ((80-)125–175(-240)); very few to few (2–7–12). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (nearly white or dark organic contents).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal; narrow to wide; much wider than rays. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: aliform lozenge type, confluent, aliform winged. The quantity of axial parenchyma can vary considerably between specimens; in some the confluent parenchyma is only weakly developed, in others it forms many conspicuous and wavy bands.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure present. Tiers regular (horizontal or slightly inclined); 5–7 per axial millimetre.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives not leachable by water. Ethanol extract not fluorescent; colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown, or yellow. Splinter burns to partial ash; colour of ash bright white.
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Transverse section ca. 10x. Radial surface, natural size.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., Gembruch, K., and Koch, G. 2014 onwards. CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th April 2023. www.delta-intkey.com’.
