Redsanders or Pterocarpus santalinus

Redsanders or Pterocarpus santalinus 

Did you know that Redsanders or Pterocarpus santalinus is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats mountain range of South India, particularly Andhra Pradesh where it is known as Yerra Chandanam, and is one of the most prized woods of millennia?

Redsanders with the botancal name Pterocarpus santalinus, a flora species, is endemic to dry deciduous forests of Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. It is a perennial and non-climbing species of leguminous tree in great demand for export, valued for the rich red colour of its wood. used in furniture, making cosmetics, handicrafts and musical instruments. The red dye from the wood is used as a colouring agent in the textiles, medicine and food industries. 

Redsanders grows in tall grasslands, at meadows, borders of forests and fields. It is well known in Andhra Pradesh as Yerra Chandanam, Chenchandanam in Telugu language. Apart from its English name as Red sandalwood, Coral-wood, its names verncular languages of India are: Ane gulaganji in Kannada; Rakt chandan in Hindi; Ani kundamani in Tamil; Gurivenda, Enugaguruginji in Telugu; and Ksharaka, Kunchandana in Sanskrit. 

Redsanders grows to 8 metres hight with a trunk 50–150 cm diameter. It is fast-growing when young, reaching 5 metres tall in three years, even on degraded soils. Its leaves are simple alternate, 3­5 inches long with 5­7 leaf lets with margin wavy and obtuse. Flowers are white in colour produced in short racemes. The fruit is a pod 6–9 cm long containing one or two seeds.

Phytochemical investigations of aqueous and ethanol extracts of stem bark revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, saponins, glycosides, flavonoides, triterpenoides, sterols, and tannins.

Medicinal uses of its flowers and stem, as herbal medicine, is as an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, tonic, hemorrhage, dysentery, aphrodisiac, anti-hyperglycaemic and diaphoretic. It is also used as flouvouring agent in alchoholic beverages.

But its use in highly valued furniture is traced to China as 'zitan', introduced as classical Chinese hardwood furniture to the west. An exquisite chair made of red sandalwood used by the emperors of the Qing dynasty is seen in Beijing, inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It is a prized item of export from India to China. Red sandalwood with wavy grain margins sells at higher prices than the standard wood, and it has been one of the most prized woods of this millennia. Heart wood of Redsanderas has been used for making the bridge and also the neck of the Japanese musical instrument 'shamisen'. It is also used to make chess pieces.

Redsanders is an overexploited tree for its timber, and hence its trading is restricted in India; a certificate is essential in order to export it.

Narasipur Char