Pterocarpus santalinus L.f.

 FABACEAE

Vernacular names:

Hindi              - Lal chandan, Rakta-chandan

Kannada         - Agaru, Honne

Malayalam       - Patrangam, Tilaparnni

Marathi           - Tambada chandana

Sanskrit          - Rakta chandana

Tamil              - Ratha sandanam, Chenkunkumam, Sivappu

                        chandanam, Sandana vengai

Telugu            - Agaru gandhamu, YeTTa chandanamu, Rakta
                                                                                     chandanam

                            

Threat status:

Critically Endangered (A 1 c,d) - Globally

 

Habit: Tree

 

Habitat: The drier, hilly zones of dry deciduous forests

 

Altitude: :t 500 m

 

Distribution: Endemic to the Eastern Ghats of Cudappah, Nellore, Chittoor and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh. Also recorded in the adjoining regions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Regional: In Karnataka, reported from Devarayandurga, Sandur and Karpakapalli MPCAs. In Tamil Nadu, reported from the drier zones of Chengalpattu, Salem and Dharmapuri districts. Wild status of these population needs verification. Commonly planted as monoculture and also as an ornament.

 

Description: Trees about 12 m height. Bark blackish brown, 1-1.5 cm thick, deeply cleft into rectangular plates by deep vertical and horizontal cracks. ,Blaze pale yellow with numerous pink streaks exuding copious red sticky thick gum. Branchlets drooping, hairless. Leaves 3-foliolate, 10-18 cm long; rachis swollen at base; leaflets usually 3, rarely 4 or 5, broadly egg-shaped or orbicular, 7-12 x 4-8 cm, base round or slightly heart-shaped, apex rounded or deeply notched, margin entire, leathery, shiny, hairless, distinctly stalked. Flowers bisexual, stalked, in axillary simple or sparingly branched racemes, yellow, about 2 cm long, fragrant. Pods unequally orbicular, flat, about 5 x 4.5 cm including the wing, gradually narrowed into a short tip which is about 1 cm long. Seeds 1

rarely 2, more or less kidney-shaped, 1-1.5 cm long, smooth, reddish brown.

 

Phenology: Leaf fall: January to March; New foliage: February to March; Flowering: April to May; Fruiting: May to September

 

Notes: Included in the negative list of exports notified by Govt. of India (Notification 2 (RE-98) dt 13.4.98, 1997-2002). Also included in Appendix-II of CITES.

 

Medicinal uses: One of the ingredients of Triphaladya ghrta, used to cure chronic fever. The heartwood is rubbed with water, honey, ghee and oil, applied as collyrium to alleviate defects of vision. Also used for treating skin diseases, bone fracture, leprosy, spider poisoning, scorpion sting, hiccough, ulcers, general debility and mental aberrations. Wood paste applied on boils and other skin eruptions, infections, inflammation and on forehead to relieve headache. Decoction of fruits is used to cure chronic dysentery; also used by Kanitribes to check dermatological

- conditions including psoriasis. Wood and bark brew taken orally relieves chronic dysentery, worms, blood vomiting, weak vision and hallucination. Wood powder is used to control haemorrhage, bleeding piles and inflammation.

 

Trade information: Local, regional, national and global. Pieces of wood priced at As. 20 to 78/ Kg. (Market studies, 1999-2000). Heartwood of Adenanthera pavonina and Caesalpinia sappan is sometimes seen as adulterant/substitute.

 

Mode of propagation: By seeds

 

Special characters: The prominent, crocodile-back-like bark exudes blood-red thick gum when freshly cut. Leaflets are 3, glossy, dark green. Fruits are compressed, circular and winged with an apical beak.