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East Himalayan Dalbergia
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East Himalayan Dalbergia
ative Photo: R. Vijayasankar
Common name: East Himalayan Dalbergia • Assamese: Bijuli, Dat bijla • Garo: Khot budu, Khot bades • Khasi: Dieng sohjeruaw • Nepali: लहरे शिरिष Lahare Shirish, टाटेबीर Taatebeer • Mizo: Hrui-zaizawh
Botanical name: Dalbergia stipulacea    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)
Synonyms: Dalbergia penduliflora

East Himalayan Dalbergia is a large woody climber, sometimes small tree. Bark is brown and the branches are spreading. Leaves are 15-20 cm long, compound. Stipules are ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, membranous, falling off early. Leaflets are 17-21, with stalks 1.5-2 mm long. They are oblong to obovate-oblong, 2.8-3.5 × 1-1.2 cm, lowest sometimes elliptic, 1.2-1.5 × 1 cm, thinly papery. Base is broadly wedge-shaped or rounded, tip pointed sometimes blunt or notched. Flowers are borne in panicles in leaf axils. Stalk, rachis, branches, and bracts are covered with brown velvety hairs. Lower part of inflorescence has many scattered, ovate, membranous, empty bracts. Bracts of flowers are smaller than inflorescence bracts. Bracteoles are obovate, enclosing 2/3 of sepal cup. Sepal cup is bell-shaped, bristly, with ovate teeth. Flowers are pale blue or pale purplish red. Petals are distinctly clawed. Standard petal is circular, slightly notched; wings with downward ears on upper side below. Stamens are 10. Pod is broadly ovoid or elliptic, 9-11 × 3.2 cm, firmly leathery, hairless, 1-seeded, very rarely 2-seeded. Seeds are kidney-shaped 15 × 8 mm. East Himalayan Dalbergia is found at altitudes of 200-1300 m in the Himalayas, Nepal to Bhutan, NE India, SE Asia, China, and Malaysia. Bark and stem use as fish poison. Flowering: April-May.

Identification credit: R. Vijayasankar Photographed in Manipur.

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