OBSERVATIONS ON SOME PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WAVY AND STRAIGHT GRAINED PTEROCARPUS SANTALINUS - RED SANDERS

摘要

Pterocarpus santalinus popularly known as Red sanders (Lalchandan or Rakthachandan) belongs to the family Leguminosae and has a restricted natural distribution only in the dry deciduous forests of South India especially in Cuddapah, Chittoor and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh and to a limited extent in adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu. This deciduous tree grows on dry hilly and rocky terrain at elevation of 150-900 m. Its timber is hard, refractory, durable and heavily impregnated with red dye composed mainly of polyphenolic pigments such as santalins etc. The wood extract has medicinal properties and is used in ayurvedic medicine for treatment of diseases due to vata, kapha, raktha, bile, etc. Till the end of eighteenth century it was mainly exported for its red dye which was in great demand in Europe and U. K. Of late it is mostly exported to Japan ostensibly for making a musical instrument called 'Shamisen'. Wavy nature is visible only when the tree is 12-15 year old, and it is identified by blazing the base of the trunk of a well grown tree with a sharp knife or axe. Hence, both wavy and straight grained wood are examined for differences, if any, in the physico-chemical characteristics and chemical composition.