Pterocarpus santalinus Linn. f., commonly known as Red sanders in English, Erra chandanam or Raktachanadanam in Telugu, Sivappu chandanam in Tamil and Raktachandan Sanskrit; belongs to the family Fabaceae. It is an endangered plant species, endemic to Eastern Ghats. Red sanders Natural distribution occurs almost exclusively in the southeastern parts of Andhra Pradesh in the tropical dry deciduous forests and northern parts of Tamil Nadu.
Red sanders is an endemic and threatened tree species confined to Cudappa area in Andhra Pradesh. It is naturally distributed in the Seshachalam hill ranges (Generally we called as Palakonda Hills ) of Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool, Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh; North Arcot and Chengalpet districts of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Apart from natural population of Red sanders, plantations have been established by the State forest departments of Andhra Pradesh.
Vernacular Names:
The Redsanders is being called with different names in various Languages.
Indian Languages:
1. Lalchandan & Raktachandan(Bengali)
2. Raktachandanamu,Yerra chandanam,Shandanamu (Telugu)
3. Sivappuchandanam(Tamil)
4. Tilaparni , Rakhta Chandanah (Sanskrit)
Trade name:. Red sanders
Ayurvedic name: Rakta chandan
Unani name:. Sandal surkh
Scientific Classification:
Family : Fabaceae
Sub family: Faboideae
Tribe:. Dalbergieae
Genus:. Pterocarpus
Botanical name: Pterocarpus santalinus Linn.F.
Redsander trees are moderate sized deciduous tree with erect bole and a dense crown under natural conditions. It grows to a height of 8 to 12 meters and attains a girth of 1 to 2 m. In plantations, trees reach a height of 16 to 20 meters. It does not tolerate the shade of other trees owing to its upright habit of growth and does not interlace branches nor does it pierce through the cover.
It grows on dry hilly, often rocky ground, and occasionally found on precipitous hil sides also. It prefers lateritic and gravelly soil and cannot tolerate water logging. In natural habitat the tree experiences hot, dry climate with temperature ranging from 12℃ to 48°C or possibly more with an annual rainfall of 900 mm to 980 mm from northeast monsoon (October to December) and from south west monsoon (May to September).
Agro Climatic Requirements:
Climate : dry and hot climate
Temperature: up to 48℃ it can sustain
Rainfall :. 900mm to 980mm
Altitude(Sea level): 150 to 900m
Soil :. Rocky soils, Redsoils,Mainly Stony and Gravelly (It requires perfect drainage system)
Medicinal uses of Redsanders:
Redsander tree is a highly demanded rare medicinal plant. The tribal groups of Western Ghats, Shimoga region use stem bark extract of P. santalinus in treating diabetes, fever, snakebite and jaundice. The plant is renowned for its characteristic timber of exquisite color, beauty and superlative technical qualities and ranks among the finest luxury in Japan.
Wood is used as astringent, tonic, as external application for wounds, cuts and inflammations, in treating headache, skin diseases, fever, boils, scorpion sting and to improve sight.
The red wood yields a natural dye santalin, which is used as a coloring agent in pharmaceutical preparations, food stuffs; fruit extract is used as astringent, diaphoretic, in inflammations, headache, skin diseases, bilious infections and chronic dysentry.
National & International Market :
Enormous demand is there in international market for its use of medicine, furniture and musical instruments. Red sanders powder, chips, musical instruments and other form of handicraft items are exported to various countries such as: France, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Japan, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, (Singapore) Switzerland, Canada, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Russia, South Africa, UK, USA, Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Rep of Korea, Spain.
The highest demand for Red Sanders comes from China and Japan. In China, this wood is highly valued culturally, and given its limited quantity, monetarily. In Chinese culture, furniture made from Red Sanders is considered highly auspicious. Furniture made from this wood is customarily given to couples at their wedding. They also enhance their sex life by using wood to make ‘sex’ pills. In japan Redsanders is used to making a musical instruments called “Shamisen”.
