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Kingdom: Plantae
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Pterocarpus
Species : Pterocarpus santalinus L.
Importance
Red sandalwood or red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a woody plant species of 20- 25 feet high, covered with rough bark and bearing spikes of yellow flowers which is highly valued for its heavy, dark claret-red heartwood which yields 16% of red colouring agent named Santalin; Santal, Pterocarpin and Homopterocarpin are three other crystaline colouring matters have also been present in the heartwood. Sandalwood is called the red wood because of its colour. Those colouring matters are being used in pharmaceutical, paper, pulp, soap, food and textile industries to yield a dark maroon to purple colour.
In Ayurvedic medicine, red sandalwood is being used as an antiseptic, wound-healing agent, and in anti-acne treatments. Large quantities of wood chips and powder are exported annually mainly for the extraction of dye, medicine and cosmetics. Red sandalwood powder can be made into a paste with honey and water and used directly on the face. It can also be combined with ashwagandha and cosmetic clays or mud for a detoxifying facial. Its texture is hard, which makes it excellent material for making furniture and wood carving.
Geographical Distribution:
Pterocarpus native to India It is most commonly found in south and south-western India, notably in the state of Karnataka, Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, and Chingleput in Tamil Nadu. It is cultivated also in China, Pakistan and Philippine Islands and the forests are classified by champion and Seth (1961) under southern tropical dry deciduous forest. The population size of red sanders in Sri Lanka is limited only to a handful of trees, which has risen from seedlings brought from India about 40-50 years ago, and established mainly in Matara DistrictIt is endemic to Cuddapah and Chittoor districts and in some parts of Nellore district. Recommended for plantation on lateritic loam, quartzite shale and lime stone. It requires perfect drainage and is found mainly on stony or gravelly soils.
Propagation
Red sandalwood is conventionally propagated through seeds and vegetative methods. Propagation through seeds is somewhat difficult due to hard seed coat coupled with low viability and presence of phenolic compounds. Although most of the available mother trees have reached the bearing stage, collection of seeds for germination purposes was both difficult and costly. Even though seeds bear seasonally, there is no consistent bearing habit. Some plants produce seeds at certain period of the year, while others do not. In the subsequent year, same plant may not produce seeds during same period of time. Plants, which produce seeds in certain period of this year, may produce seeds during another period in next year. On the other hand, even though a single red sandalwood tree produces several thousands of seeds, no single seedling can be found under the tree mainly due to seed dormancy.
Therefore, due to the seasonal fruit bearing habits and morphological differences among the plants, seed propagation encountered with several limitations. Also, due to limited number of plants available in Sri Lanka and their heights (most of the plants are more than 50-60 meters high and foliage is confined to only in tops) create difficulties when seeds were harvested.
Conventional vegetative propagation studies have also shown that propagation through air layering or cuttings are not up to the satisfactory level. This is mainly because the matured red sandalwood tree is very tall; it is difficult to practice the layering process. Cuttings found to be hard to root even with the application of growth regulators. Limited number of planting materials which were resulted through vegetative means not fulfills the conservation and mass scale propagation of this endangered species.
Tissue culture of red sandalwood also began in the 1980s with more recent attempts to improve shoot sprouting using seedling explants in India
Importance
Red sandalwood or red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a woody plant species of 20- 25 feet high, covered with rough bark and bearing spikes of yellow flowers which is highly valued for its heavy, dark claret-red heartwood which yields 16% of red colouring agent named Santalin; Santal, Pterocarpin and Homopterocarpin are three other crystaline colouring matters have also been present in the heartwood. Sandalwood is called the red wood because of its colour. Those colouring matters are being used in pharmaceutical, paper, pulp, soap, food and textile industries to yield a dark maroon to purple colour.
In Ayurvedic medicine, red sandalwood is being used as an antiseptic, wound-healing agent, and in anti-acne treatments. Large quantities of wood chips and powder are exported annually mainly for the extraction of dye, medicine and cosmetics. Red sandalwood powder can be made into a paste with honey and water and used directly on the face. It can also be combined with ashwagandha and cosmetic clays or mud for a detoxifying facial. Its texture is hard, which makes it excellent material for making furniture and wood carving.
Geographical Distribution:
Pterocarpus native to India It is most commonly found in south and south-western India, notably in the state of Karnataka, Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh, and Chingleput in Tamil Nadu. It is cultivated also in China, Pakistan and Philippine Islands and the forests are classified by champion and Seth (1961) under southern tropical dry deciduous forest. The population size of red sanders in Sri Lanka is limited only to a handful of trees, which has risen from seedlings brought from India about 40-50 years ago, and established mainly in Matara DistrictIt is endemic to Cuddapah and Chittoor districts and in some parts of Nellore district. Recommended for plantation on lateritic loam, quartzite shale and lime stone. It requires perfect drainage and is found mainly on stony or gravelly soils.
Propagation
Red sandalwood is conventionally propagated through seeds and vegetative methods. Propagation through seeds is somewhat difficult due to hard seed coat coupled with low viability and presence of phenolic compounds. Although most of the available mother trees have reached the bearing stage, collection of seeds for germination purposes was both difficult and costly. Even though seeds bear seasonally, there is no consistent bearing habit. Some plants produce seeds at certain period of the year, while others do not. In the subsequent year, same plant may not produce seeds during same period of time. Plants, which produce seeds in certain period of this year, may produce seeds during another period in next year. On the other hand, even though a single red sandalwood tree produces several thousands of seeds, no single seedling can be found under the tree mainly due to seed dormancy.
Therefore, due to the seasonal fruit bearing habits and morphological differences among the plants, seed propagation encountered with several limitations. Also, due to limited number of plants available in Sri Lanka and their heights (most of the plants are more than 50-60 meters high and foliage is confined to only in tops) create difficulties when seeds were harvested.
Conventional vegetative propagation studies have also shown that propagation through air layering or cuttings are not up to the satisfactory level. This is mainly because the matured red sandalwood tree is very tall; it is difficult to practice the layering process. Cuttings found to be hard to root even with the application of growth regulators. Limited number of planting materials which were resulted through vegetative means not fulfills the conservation and mass scale propagation of this endangered species.
Tissue culture of red sandalwood also began in the 1980s with more recent attempts to improve shoot sprouting using seedling explants in India
