1022

 Dalbergia malabarica  Prain, Ann. Roy.

Synonym	:	Dalbergia tamarindifolia var. pubescens Baker is
Family	:	FABACEAE
Local name	:	English- East Indian rosewood
Flowering and fruiting period	:	December-February
Distribution	:	Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Kottayam
Distribution in kerala	:	Western Ghats
Habitat	:	Evergreen forests
IUCN Status	:	vulnerable
Uses	:	Timber used for furniture
Key botanical characters: Climbing shrubs; young branches rusty tomentose. Leaves imparipinnate, 6-10 cm long; leaflets 13-28, alternate, 8-21 x 6-8 mm, elliptic-oblong, obtuse-subtruncate at base, obtuse and mucronate at apex, sparsely pilose-glabrescent above, rusty pilose below especially on the midrib; lateral veins 8 pairs, prominent beneath; rachis 5-8 cm long including 5-7 mm long petiole, rusty tomentose; petiolule ca 1.5 mm long, tomentose; stipules 4-5 x 1-1.5 mm, triangular, rusty pubescent outside. Panicle 3.5 cm long; pedicel 2 mm long, pubescent; bracts and bracteoles 2 x 1 mm, ovate, rusty pubescent. Calyx-tube 2.5 mm long, campanulate, pubescent; lobes 1 x 1 mm, triangular, pubescent outside. Standard petals reflect, 3.5 x 2 mm, obovate, shortly auricled, claw 3 mm long, slender; wings 3.5 x 2 mm, obovate, shortly auricled, claw 3 mm long; keels 3.5 x 2 mm, obliquely obovate, subtruncate at apex, shortly auricled, claw 3 mm long. Stamens monadelphous; sheath 3 mm long; filaments al; anthers 0.25 mm long, monomorphic. Ovary stipitate, 3 x 0.5 mm, linear, glabrous, 2-ovuled, , incurved, glabrous; stigma pointed. Pods .elliptic-oblong, strap-shaped, copper red, . long, glabrous, reticulately veined over seeds, 1(-2)-seeded; seeds .obliquely ovate, light brown..