Pterocarpus

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pterocarpus
Pterocarpus santalinus seed pods
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Dalbergieae
Genus: Pterocarpus
Jacq. (1763), nom. cons.
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
  • Amphymenium Kunth (1824)
  • Ancylocalyx Tul. (1843)
  • Echinodiscus Benth. (1837)
  • Etaballia Benth. (1840)
  • Griselinia Scop. (1777), nom. superfl.
  • Lingoum Adans. (1763), nom. superfl.
  • Malaparius Rumph. ex Bosc (1803)
  • Moutouchi Aubl. (1775)
  • Nephraea Hassk. (1844)
  • Nephrea Noronha (1790), nom. nud.
  • Phellocarpus Benth. (1837)
  • Pterocarpos St.-Lag. (1880)
  • Pterocarpus L. (1754), nom. rej.
  • Weinreichia Rchb. (1828)
Wood of P. officinalis

Pterocarpus is a

scientific name is Latinized Ancient Greek and means "wing fruit", referring to the unusual shape of the seed pods
in this genus.

Uses

Padauk wood is obtained from several species of Pterocarpus. All padauks are of African or Asian origin. Padauks are valued for their toughness, stability in use, and decorativeness, most having a reddish wood. Most Pterocarpus[9] woods contain either water- or alcohol-soluble substances and can be used as dyes.

The padauk found most often is African padauk from

rosewoods to which they are somewhat related, but as a general rule padauks are coarser and less decorative in figure. Like rosewood, padauk is sometimes used to make xylophone, organ and marimba keys, and guitars. It is an important material in traditional Chinese furniture
.

African padauk wood

Some padauks, e.g. P. soyauxii, are used as herbal medicines, for example to treat skin parasites and fungal infections.[10]

Chemistry

Pterocarpin is a pterocarpan found in Pterocarpus spp.[11]

Species

A total of 35 species is currently accepted:[12][13]

Notes

1 Some sources treat P. echinatus as a synonym of P. indicus.

References

  1. ^ Pterocarpus Jacq. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  2. PMID 11250829
    .
  3. .
  4. ^ "African Padauk | The Wood Database (Hardwood)". www.wood-database.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  5. ^ The Rosewood Trade: An Illicit Trail from Forest to Furniture Authors: Sandy Ong / Andy Carver, Date: 29 January 2019, URL: https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-rosewood-trade-the-illicit-trail-from-forest-to-furniture (Yale School of Environment)
  6. ^ "Zitan | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)". www.wood-database.com. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Chinese National Standard for Rosewood Furniture - QB/T 2385-2008" (PDF).
  8. ^ Meier E. "The Wood Database".
  9. ^ "Narra". OneToTree. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  10. ^ "AgroForestryTree Database entry for Pterocarpus soyauxii". AgroForestryTree Database. World Agroforestry Centre (WAC). Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  11. ^ "Pterocarpin at knapsack_jsp". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  12. ^ "ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Pterocarpus". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  13. USDA; ARS; National Genetic Resources Program. "GRIN species records of Pterocarpus". Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Archived from the original
    on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2014.

External links

Media related to Pterocarpus at Wikimedia Commons