As recorded for Chinese Blackwood
Dalbergia melanoxylon
Chinese Blackwood
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, West Bengal
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP records it as introduced in India Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Trop. & S. Africa.
- Explore nearby plants
- Maharashtra →West Bengal →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Chinese Blackwood
Identify Chinese Blackwood by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Extremely dense black timber (African blackwood).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- Confirm fruit type: Legume.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, West Bengal.
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternate, 6–22 cm long, pinnately compound, with 6–9 alternately arranged leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compoundrecordedLeaflets are arranged in rows along a central stalk, like a feather.“The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternate, 6–22 cm long, pinnately compound, with 6–9 alternately arranged leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chinese Blackwood itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit is a pod 3–7 cm long, containing one to two seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Chinese Blackwood itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Chinese Blackwood
A member of the Fabaceae family, Chinese Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Uses
Locally it is cut for timber and furniture and used to deter insects.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Chinese Blackwood belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Fabaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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