
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.