Pterocarpus santalinus

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Pterocarpus santalinus
Pterocarpus santalinus in Talakona forest, AP W IMG 8145.jpg
in Talakona forest, in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Pterocarpus
Species:
P. santalinus
Binomial name
Pterocarpus santalinus
Synonyms [2]
  • Lingoum santalinum(L.f.) Kuntze

Pterocarpus santalinus, with the common names red sanders, red saunders, Yerra Chandanam, Chenchandanam, red sandalwood, Rakta Chandana, and rakto chandon, is a species of Pterocarpus endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats mountain range of South India. [1] [3] This tree is valued for the rich red colour of its wood, and in recent years[ vague ] there has been a marked uptick in the use of red sandalwood as a component of incense, especially in the west. The tree is not to be confused with the aromatic Santalum sandalwood trees that grow natively in Southern India.

Contents

Description

in Talakona forest, in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Pterocarpus santalinus in Talakona forest, AP W IMG 8099.jpg
in Talakona forest, in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Seized red sandalwood logs at Forest office, Tirupati Red sandalwood logs at kapiltirtham0.jpg
Seized red sandalwood logs at Forest office, Tirupati

Pterocarpus santalinus is a light-demanding small tree, growing to 8 metres (26 ft) tall with a trunk 50–150 cm diameter. It is fast-growing when young, reaching 5 metres (16 ft) tall in three years, even on degraded soils. It is not frost tolerant, being killed by temperatures of 1 °C.

The leaves are alternate, 3–9 cm long, trifoliate with three leaflets.

The flowers are produced in short racemes. The fruit is a pod 6–9 cm long containing one or two seeds. [4] [5]

Uses

Timber

Chess pieces in red sandalwood SandalwoodChessPieces.jpg
Chess pieces in red sandalwood

The wood has historically been valued in China, particularly during the Qing dynasty periods, and is referred to in Chinese as zitan (紫檀) and spelt tzu-t'an by earlier western authors such as Gustav Ecke, who introduced classical Chinese hardwood furniture to the west. [6] An exquisite chair made of red sandalwood can be seen today in China's Forbidden City in Beijing, inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony , and once used by the emperors of the Qing dynasty.

Due to its slow growth and rarity, furniture made from zitan is difficult to find and can be expensive. [7] It has been one of the most prized woods for millennia.

In India red sandalwood is one main and lucrative market for smugglers, as a high price is paid for this wood in China. Since the exporting of sandalwood is illegal in India, the underground market is growing and there are a number of arrests every year of those trying to smuggle this wood to China.

The other form of zitan is from the species Dalbergia louvelii , Dalbergia maritima , and Dalbergia normandii , all similar species named in trade as bois de rose or violet rosewood which when cut are bright crimson purple changing to dark purple again. It has a fragrant scent when worked. [6]

Shamisen

Red sandalwood has been used for making the bridge and also the neck of the Japanese musical instrument shamisen. [8] The heartwood is preferred for this purpose.

Medicinal values

Pterocarpus santalinus is used in traditional herbal medicine as an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, tonic, hemorrhage, dysentery, aphrodisiac, anti-hyperglycaemic and diaphoretic. [9] [10]

Grading of red sandalwood

Red sandalwood grown on the shale subsoils, at altitudes around 750 metres (2,460 ft), and in semi-arid climatic conditions gives a distinctive wavy grain margin. Lumber pieces with the wavy grain margin are graded as "A" grade. Red sandalwood with wavy grain margins sells at higher prices than the standard wood.

Conservation status

Pterocarpus santalinus was listed as an Endangered species by the IUCN, because of overexploitation for its timber in South India; however, it was later reclassified to Near Threatened in 2018, as the scale of this loss is not properly known. [11] It is also listed in the appendix II of the CITES, which means that a certificate is required in order to export it, that should only be granted if the trade is not detrimental to the survival of the species. [12]

See also

Notes

  1. The films related to illegal business of red sandalwood

Related Research Articles

<i>Pterocarpus</i> Genus of legumes

Pterocarpus is a pantropical tree genus in the Fabaceae family. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae, and was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Pterocarpus clade within the Dalbergieae. Most species of Pterocarpus yield valuable timber traded as padauk, usually pronounced or ; other common names are mukwa or narra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandalwood</span> Class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum

Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries. Consequently, some species of these slow-growing trees have suffered over-harvesting in the past.

<i>Dalbergia</i> Genus of legumes

Dalbergia is a large genus of small to medium-size trees, shrubs and lianas in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Dalbergia clade : the Dalbergieae. The genus has a wide distribution, native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Madagascar and Southern Asia.

<i>Dalbergia melanoxylon</i> Species of plant

Dalbergia melanoxylon in French Granadille d'Afrique is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to seasonally dry regions of Africa from Senegal east to Eritrea, to southern regions of Tanzania to Mozambique and south to the north-eastern parts of South Africa. The tree is an important timber species in its native areas; it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, sculptures vinyago in Swahili language and fine furnitures. Populations and genomic resources for genetic biodiversity maintenance in parts of its native range are threatened by overharvesting due to poor or absent conservation planning and by the species' low germination rates.

<i>Pterocarpus indicus</i> Species of legume

Pterocarpus indicus is a species of Pterocarpus of the Sweet Pea Family (Papilionaceae) native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosewood</span> Several tropical woods of the genus Dalbergia

Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus Dalbergia, but other woods are often called rosewood. Rosewood takes a high polish and is used for luxury furniture-making, flooring, musical instruments, and turnery.

<i>Pterocarpus angolensis</i> Species of legume

Pterocarpus angolensis is a species of Pterocarpus native to southern Africa, in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. It is a protected tree in South Africa. The name Kiaat, although Afrikaans, is sometimes used outside South Africa as well. In Zimbabwe, depending on what region you are in, it is known as Mukwa( which it is also called in Zambia) or Mubvamaropa.

<i>Tipuana</i> Genus of legumes

Tipuana tipu, also known as tipa, rosewood and pride of Bolivia, is a South American tree.

<i>Pterocarpus macrocarpus</i> Species of legume

Pterocarpus macrocarpus, or Burma padauk, is a tree native to the seasonal tropical forests of southeastern Asia: in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has been naturalized in India and the Caribbean.

<i>Dalbergia sissoo</i> Species of deciduous tree

Dalbergia sissoo, known commonly as North Indian rosewood or shisham, is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran. D. sissoo is a large, crooked tree with long, leathery leaves and whitish or pink flowers.

Dalbergia baronii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. It is named after the English missionary and botanist Rev. Richard Baron.

<i>Dalbergia cochinchinensis</i> Species of legume

Dalbergia cochinchinensis, the Thailand rosewood, Siamese rosewood, or tracwood, is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae.

Dalbergia monticola is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. It occurs at higher elevation, which gave the species its name.

<i>Dalbergia nigra</i> Species of legume

Dalbergia nigra, commonly known as the Bahia rosewood, jacarandá-da-Bahia, Brazilian rosewood, Rio rosewood, jacarandá-do-brasil, pianowood, caviúna, graúna, jacarandá-una or obuina is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae.

<i>Dalbergia odorifera</i> Species of legume

Dalbergia odorifera, fragrant rosewood or Chinese rosewood, is a species of true rosewood in the genus Dalbergia. It is a small or medium-sized tree, 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) tall. It is endemic to China and occurs in Fujian, Hainan, Zhejiang, and Guangdong.

<i>Dalbergia oliveri</i> Species of legume

Dalbergia oliveri is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae which grows in tree form to 15 – 30 meters in height. The fruit is a green pod containing one to two seeds which turn brown to black when ripe. It is threatened by habitat loss and over-harvesting for its valuable red "rosewood" timber.

<i>Pterocarpus santalinoides</i> Species of legume

Pterocarpus santalinoides is a tree species in the legume family (biology) (Fabaceae); it is locally known as mututi.

<i>Dalbergia retusa</i> Species of legume

Dalbergia retusa is a plant species in the familyFabaceae . It is found in Pacific regions of Central America, ranging from Panama to southwestern Mexico. It produces the cocobolo wood. It is a fair-sized tree, reported to reach 20–25 m in height. This is probably the species contributing most of the wood in the trade. Because of the wood's great beauty and high value, the trees yielding this wood have been heavily exploited and are now rare outside national parks, reserves, and plantations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical evergreen forests of India</span>

Tropical evergreen forests of India are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Western Ghats, which fringe the Arabian Sea, the coastline of peninsular India, and the greater Assam region in the north-east. Small remnants of semi-evergreen forest are found in Odisha state. Semi-evergreen forest is more extensive than the evergreen formation all over India because evergreen forests tend to degrade to evergreen with human interference. There are substantial differences between the three major evergreen forest regions. The average annual rainfall is 69-79 inches.

<i>Dalbergia latifolia</i> Species of legume

Dalbergia latifolia is a premier timber species, also known as the Indian rosewood. It is native to low-elevation tropical monsoon forests of south east India. Some common names in English include rosewood, Bombay blackwood, roseta rosewood, East Indian rosewood, reddish-brown rosewood, Indian palisandre, and Java palisandre. Its Indian common names are beete, and satisal or sitsal. The tree grows to 40 metres (130 ft) in height and is evergreen, but locally deciduous in drier subpopulations.

References

  1. 1 2 Ahmedullah, M. (2021). "Pterocarpus santalinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T32104A187622484. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T32104A187622484.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Theplantlist.org. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. "ILDIS LegumeWeb (version 10)". Ildis.org. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  4. [ permanent dead link ]
  5. Auroville: Wasteland reclamation through rehabilitation of eroded soil (pdf file) Archived 2007-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 "Classical Chinese Furniture: Newsletter". Chinese-furniture.com. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. "Zitantique, the best source for premium quality zitan - About Zitan". 18 May 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  8. Malm, William P. (15 June 1990). Japanese Music & Musical Instruments. Tuttle Publishing. p. 56. ISBN   9781462912353 . Retrieved 25 March 2022 via Google Books.
  9. Sudhakar, A (December 2011). "Pharmacognosy of some indigenous medicinal plants of chittoor district, Andhra pradesh, India" (PDF). Shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  10. "Pterocarpus santalinus Linn. f. (Rath handun): A review of its botany, uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology". Journal of the Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry. 54 (4): 495–500. August 2011. doi:10.3839/jksabc (inactive 1 November 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  11. Red List of Threatened Species: Pterocarpus santalinus, IUCN
  12. Appendices I, II and III, CITES